This Girl
by Eriador
Summary: A new girl joins Hogwarts in the fifth year, she is late and holds a mysterious secret may contain spoilers for OOTP.
1. New Girl

*Ok, this is my first fanfic. So please be gentle with me.*  
This Girl  
  
A cool silver half moon had just risen as a dark horse and rider walked slowly along the long pathway up to a looming castle. People were running past the lit windows in the castle unaware of the clip of the horses feet as it got closer to the castle. It was the 10th September and Eriador Minorita was late, very late. She glanced at her watch on her left wrist. 9.00pm. Not only was it late, she should have been here almost two weeks ago.  
  
Sighing she checked her horse in to a trot. The horse was well built and moved smoothly. However, he was a very unusual horse, not least because of the two foot silver horn that protruded from it head. Also because this unicorn was jet black, it was one of only about 50 in the world. Eriador kept its horn a close secret using various concealment spells because she did not want her horse hunted for sport. Urging her horse up the steps to the main entrance of the castle she then pulled gently on the horses reins to stop him. Sliding off his back she murmured reassuringly to him. She unhooked a small bag and a skateboard from his saddle. Eriador grinned and chuckled when she looked at her skateboard, what would the wizards and witches here think? Once she had done this she unclipped her horses saddle and undid the buckles on his bridle carefully removing it around his horn. Then taking out her wand and muttering a word, the space in front of her horses head shimmered and a two foot long horn reappeared in the place of air. The silver glowed slightly in the moonlight and the point glistened sharply. When this happened Eriador was surrounded by gasps of shock. She had not noticed that she had gained an audience, she took out one of the head phones that was blasting loud music in to her head and glanced round at the people staring at her and her horse. Muttering a few words to her horse, she patted it and it trotted away towards the Forbidden Forest. Taking out her wand again, she pointed it at the saddle and bridle on the floor, she said a word and they disappeared. Picking up her bag and skateboard she slung the bag over her shoulder and walked through the main entrance of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
The students that had gathered to watch this young girl and her horse parted to let her pass. They stared at her, she was wearing loose, long, black trousers that covered most of her trainers, a red vest with illegible scrawl written across it and a black un-zipped jacket. Her hair that just looked dark in the dim light of the entrance hall was seen to be a dark violet and hung long and straight a few inches past her shoulders. She was tall and looked intimidating as she strode through the entrance hall, although she looked confident she tried not to meet anybodies eyes, Eriador knew that it would un-nerve people if she looked people right in the face straight after she had got there. The reason for this was her eyes. Her face was well shaped and quite attractive, clear of any spots or blemishes except for a few freckles across her nose. However her eyes drew the attention. They were a deep, dark, black. Inky pools of infinite depth. Eriador knew that they scared people and she enjoyed watching strangers reactions to her, she usually didn't mind the look of fear that passed their faces when she looked directly at them. However, tonight she did not want to scare people, well not just yet, she wanted to make friends. She had already caused a stir because of the entrance she had made and her eyes would make things worse.  
  
Eriador carried on walking and put the head phone back in so she couldn't hear the accusing whispers. As heavy guitar riff blasted into her head she looked around for any form of authority. Looking up at a winding staircase she seemed to have found one.  
  
A rather large, round woman with a face like a toad was descending the stairs in one of the most horrible pink cardigans Eriador had ever seen. Suppressing a smile Eriador walked up to her. She took out the small device that was attached to her head phones, pressing a button on it, she then wound the head phones around it and placed it in her pocket. Then smiling she looked at the woman in front of her.  
  
"Excuse me, err.. professor. But I'm Eriador Minorita, I know I'm err.. a little late, but it took me a little longer than expected to get here. I think I was told to see either Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore."  
  
The large teacher was looking at Eriador with a mixture of shock and horror, she surveyed the purple hair, the black eyes and the clothes.  
  
"Why are you not in robes young lady?" The teacher asked in a strangely high pitched voice that Eriador thought could surely not be natural.  
  
Eriador had not quite been expecting this,  
  
"Well firstly, I don't really like wearing robes, they're not very flattering really." Eriador said matter of factly, a few sniggers sounded across the entrance hall.  
  
"And secondly I cannot ride in robes, its just silly." Eriador finished.  
  
The teacher gawped at her in disbelief. Then turning to the students in the hall she said.  
  
"Shouldn't you be in your common rooms? It is after nine o'clock, if you do not move immediately I will report you."  
  
Turning back to Eriador she frowned and said haughtily.  
  
"Well if you don't have robes on you should not be here, I think you should leave immediately.  
  
"But.." Eriador began to protest. However she was interrupted.  
  
"Now Delores I don't think that will be necessary. Good Evening Eriador, if you would like to come this way and we shall get everything sorted." Said a tall man now walking up the staircase towards them. He had a long silver beard and wore half moon glasses, Professor Dumbledore.  
  
As Eriador followed Dumbledore she heard the Professor she had been talking to spluttering words like "..But. out of regulations.. no robes. just not proper" and she grinned and walked up the stairs. Walking next to Dumbledore Eriador said nothing but surveyed everything around her. She looked at the suits of armour curiously as the watched her walk by. They came to the entrance to Dumbledores office, he said the password and they entered.  
  
"Now my dear" Dumbledore began as the walked in to his office. "The first thing we must sort, is well your sorting, we must decide what house you will be in" He smiled and pointed to the hat on the table. "Try the hat."  
  
Eriador looked at the hat, mistrusting it, but picked it up and placed it on her head anyway.  
  
"Hmm interesting, there's been a few of your clan here hasn't there, one I'm sure you'd rather not talk about. But anyway lets take a look, my, my your clever yes and powerful, yes, I can see that in you. But you're not cruel are you? Hmm interesting. She was in Slytherin wasn't she? But he was in Gryfindor. Interesting. But I think you would do better in Gryfindor, yes Gryfindor."  
  
"Gryfindor" the hat shouted.  
  
The hat was lifted from Eriador's head.  
  
"Well that sorts it then." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Your trunk, which arrived on the 1st September is being taken to your dormitory now." He turned to the fire and threw what looked like dust in to it.  
  
"Minerva, if you would be so kind as to come to my office please." He asked the fire.  
  
Seconds later Minerva McGonagall was in the office.  
  
"Minerva, if you would please show Eriador to Gryfindor house common room and dormitories and make sure she settles in ok."  
  
"Certainly, headmaster." Professor McGonagall replied. "If you would follow me Eriador"  
  
* I have more, if you like it review and tell me so and I will post some more chapters* 


	2. Eyes

*Ok chapter two. Here goes*  
  
Eyes  
  
Eriador followed the tall thin woman in a dressing gown to a large picture of a very fat woman. Professor McGonagall took this moment to look over the newest addition to her house.  
  
"What is that plank of wood with wheels for?" She asked.  
  
"It's a skateboard Professor." Eriador replied. "You stand on it and it rolls, you can do tricks and stuff, would you like me to show you?"  
  
"No, no its ok. You need a password to enter your common room, at the moment its "Sugar mice" As she said this she rolled her eyes as if she disapproved of the password.  
  
The Portrait giggled and opened.  
  
"You spend far to much time with the Headmaster." Professor McGonagall muttered to the portrait as she stepped inside. She glanced back and looked disapprovingly at Eriador's hair.  
  
As she entered the common room it fell silent as heads turned to stare at the pretty girl with purple hair standing in the entrance of their common room.  
  
"Gryfindor house, this is Eriador Minorita, she will be joining the fifth year. I wish you to be polite to her and make her feel welcome." Professor McGonagall said then turning to Eriador she said. "Welcome to Hogwarts" And left.  
  
Once again Eriador did not meet anyone's eyes as she walked through the silent common room, she glanced up once and noted a sign that pointed to the girls dormitories and headed towards it. She was intercepted by a girl who looked about the same age as herself she thought.  
  
"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger. I'll be in the same dormitory as you, would you like some help?" She said smiling at Eriador.  
  
Eriador smiled back, "Some help would be great, I have no idea what is going on." Hermione laughed, "Follow me."  
  
Eriador followed Hermione up the stairs to a door on the right, she heard the talk below resume.  
  
"I should think that this bed will be yours, it was here at the start of term, but obviously you weren't here so you couldn't use it. If you don't mind me asking, why weren't you here?" Hermione asked.  
  
Eriador smiled. "It took me a little longer to get here than I expected. You see I couldn't come on the train because I had to come on Shadow and because its such a long way we had to take it slow."  
  
"Umm, who's Shadow?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Oh, you don't know? I thought it would be all round the school by now. He's my horse, well unicorn. Some people saw me riding him up to the main entrance so I thought people would know." Eriador said casually.  
  
"No I didn't know. Wow a unicorn! Do you think I could see him at some point?"  
  
"Yeah sure, you could ride him if you like."  
  
" Its alright, I think I'll pass on that offer, I'm not amazing keen on horses." Hermione said. "I still want to see him of course" She said quickly.  
  
Eriador laughed. "Don't worry about it."  
  
Eriador began unpacking her trunk as Hermione explained the school day and the rules they had to abide to.  
  
Eriador took out her school robes and scowled at them.  
  
"God I hate wearing these things" she said.  
  
"Oh they're not too bad once you get used to them" Hermione said. "Are you from a muggle family or something then?"  
  
"No, pure blood all the way." Eriador said with distaste. "Stupid really, I couldn't really care about my heritage, my best friends are all muggles anyway."  
  
Seeing Hermione's confused look she continued to explain.  
  
"I live with a foster Wizarding family, the Minorita's. They're alright I suppose, but they keep reminding me of how I'm a pure blood witch and I should uphold my family name and act like a proper witch, blah blah blah." Eriador rolled her eyes. "Its pathetic, this pure blood stuff, being pure blood doesn't make you a better person." She said quietly.  
  
Hermione looked at Eriador curiously, wondering whether she was speaking from experience.  
  
"Anyway" Eriador continued. "I rebelled against my witch roots" She grinned. "And all my friends at home are muggles, I hate wearing wizard robes and refused to wear them on several occasions, it really annoyed my foster parents. So I wear muggle clothes all the time, except now that I'm here." She scowled again.  
  
"Well you don't have to wear you're robes all the time." Hermione said, "only whilst we have lessons, at the weekends and holidays we don't have to. Oh and in the evening after dinner."  
  
"I suppose I will live" Eriador sighed. She had finished unpacking and was now looking around the room.  
  
"No stereo. No plug sockets." She muttered.  
  
"You can't use electrical things inside Hogwarts." Hermione said. "Most wizards don't know a thing about electricity. It doesn't work around all the magic here." With a cunning grin on her face Eriador drew out the small electrical device she had been listening to.  
  
"This, is a Mini-disk player." She said. "It is electric and therefore will not work inside Hogwarts. Correct?" She asked Hermione.  
  
"Yes." Hermione said slowly.  
  
Eriador pressed a small button on the Mini-disk player and gave a headphone to Hermione. The shocked look on her face showed she was not expecting to be able to hear music.  
  
"How?" She asked, amazed. Eriador shrugged "I conjured a shield around it so it does not detect the magic, so it is not affected by it." She coiled the headphones back up and placed the player in her drawer.  
  
Standing up she said.  
  
"Well I think its time I braved the common room don't you think?"  
  
"Definitely" Hermione said, for the first time since meeting her, Hermione looked directly in to Eriador's eyes. She issued a small gasp.  
  
"Your eyes are.."  
  
"Black? Yes I had noticed." Eriador said sarcastically.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry" Hermione said at once. "It was just a bit of a shock, I bet you get that all the time?"  
  
Eriador sighed. "Yes, I do. But I'm sure I can forgive you, just this time" Eriador said in mock seriousness. She gave Hermione a wink. "Unless of course, you're going to run away screaming that I'm the devil incarnate and I'm here to take your souls?"  
  
"Well" Said Hermione in the same mock serious voice. "I was thinking about that" Both girls laughed and began to walk down the stairs to the common room.  
  
* There you go. Hope you like it R&R. I'm going away till Friday, might get one more chapter up before I go, maybe not. I know I'm new but don't forget me* 


	3. Changing

*Right then, I'm back. Hope you haven't forgotten me. Next chapter.. here goes*  
  
Changing  
  
As they entered to common room, it once again fell silent.  
  
"Come and sit with me, Ron and Harry." Hermione said and made her way to three chairs gathered around the fireplace, two of which were occupied. Eriador followed her, focusing on the walls as she walked.  
  
"Harry, Ron, this is Eriador" Hermione began.  
  
"Raid, Its just Raid." Eriador said smiling.  
  
Ron was staring quite openly at the attractive girl standing in front of him with purple hair and black eyes.  
  
"Its rude to stare" Raid said tartly.  
  
Hermione smiled. Harry was also staring at Raid but not quite as avidly as Ron.  
  
"Why Raid?" Asked Harry.  
  
"Well when I was younger my friends found Eriador quite a mouthful so the changed two of the letters round and came out with Raid." She explained.  
  
Hermione brought over another chair and sat down, she gestured to the spare chair and Raid sat down.  
  
"Who is the fat, moody woman with the disgusting pink cardigan?" Raid asked.  
  
The three other students exchanged dark looks.  
  
"You've met Professor Umbridge then?" Harry asked.  
  
"She such a.. a " Ron came out with a string of curses and swear word to describe the teacher then fell silent.  
  
"I take it she not very popular then." Raid said with a smile.  
  
"No, not exactly." Said Hermione. "She's from the Ministry of Magic"  
  
"Ah yes, I remember now, I've seen her in the paper sometime, her and her stupid laws. She tried to send me out of Hogwarts because I wasn't in robes!" Raid exclaimed.  
  
"She would." Grumbled Ron.  
  
Hermione, Ron, Harry and Raid sat discussing which teachers were good and bad and which ones to stay away from until 11.30. "Well we'd better be getting to bed, its Monday morning tomorrow, I always have trouble getting up then." Harry said as Raid yawned widely.  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you guys in the morning." Raid said as she and Hermione made their way up to their dormitories.  
  
"It's weird they never mentioned my eyes." Raid said thoughtfully.  
  
"They were probably too amazed by your hair." Hermione laughed. "They might not say anything, I mean, it probably won't bother them."  
  
"Maybe" Raid replied as they walked in to their dorm. There were two girls up and as it seemed, waiting for them.  
  
They crossed the room and linked arms with Raid and pulled her across the room with them away from Hermione.  
  
"Hi, I'm Lavender." The one on the left said.  
  
"And I'm Parvati." Said the other.  
  
"You can hang out with us if you like" Said Lavender, shooting Hermione a nasty look. Raid saw it and smiled slightly.  
  
"Maybe I will sometime, I would like to get to know everybody. But Hermione's been very nice to me tonight and Ron and Harry. So I might hang out with them a bit, I guess I'll see you around." Raid said in an even steady voice. She didn't want to be part of a group that wanted to be friends with her because they could get back at Hermione.  
  
She disentangled her arms from theirs and walked over to her bed giving Hermione a wink as she did so. She saw Hermione smile and try not laugh as she got ready for bed.  
  
Slipping under the covers of her bed, Raid relaxed. She thought about what here first proper day would be like at Hogwarts tomorrow, She didn't worry about not knowing enough, she knew she already could take her OWLs with her eyes closed. But she did worry about what people would think about her. She seemed to have made some friends tonight. With Hermione certainly, Ron maybe, and the famous Harry Potter. That was interesting, that she would have fallen in with him. She pushed the thought from her mind and drifted off to sleep.  
  
Automatically waking up at 6am, Raids eyes flickered open to see the sun just starting to rise through her bed curtains. Quietly she got up and dressed, taking pains not to wake any of the deeply sleeping girls around her. Pocketing her wand, she stood still in deep concentration, completely focused on what she was about to do. Then with a small 'pop' she disappeared from the room. Deep in the Forbidden Forest the black unicorn Shadow was grazing in a clearing, a small 'pop' startled him slightly and he jerked his head around looking for the source of the noise. He saw Raid walking towards him and relaxed. "Man." Eriador said to herself. "Apperating and diapperating in the place sure is as hard as it says in the textbook, it takes ages to find a gap in the spells surrounding this place." She sighed. "Oh well, I'm sure practise will make perfect."  
  
She conjured her horses saddle and bridle, placed it on him and swung herself in to the saddle. Within minutes they were galloping through the forest, leaping over fallen branches and dodging trees.  
  
Raids invisible form, mid-apperation analysed the dormitory. There didn't seem to be anybody there. She apperated next to her bunk and looked around, double checking there was no-one there. At that moment Hermione strode in to the room.  
  
"How did you do that?" She asked.  
  
"Do what?" said Raid, trying to look as innocent as possible.  
  
"Well, I was in her two seconds ago and you defiantly weren't in here, but now here you are. Do you have an invisibility cloak?"  
  
"I don't have an invisibility cloak." Raid said slowly.  
  
She looked at Hermione, wondering how much she should tell her new friend about herself.  
  
"Can I trust you Hermione?" She asked.  
  
"Yes of course" Hermione replied.  
  
"Ok, come here and I will tell you a little about myself." Raid sat on her bed and  
  
Hermione sat on the bed opposite her looking very curious.  
  
Raid sat and looked at the floor, thinking where to being.  
  
"Firstly, you can't tell Harry or Ron about this, not yet. You can't tell anyone." Raid looked at Hermione seriously. "Promise me."  
  
Hermione nodded, wondering what on earth she was about to be told.  
  
"Right. My father was powerful, very powerful. He had more power than most of the wizards in his generation. He's dead now, but I inherited a lot of his power. Not as much but enough. I've been having private tuition since I was about 6. I can do anything up to NEWT level and more." Raid said without a hint of boasting, she said it matter of fact, something that she just accepted. She continued. "One of the things I learnt was to apparate. But also to understand how spells work and how to break through them without destroying them."  
  
"Like the protection spells around Hogwarts that stop people apparating here." Hermione said. Raid nodded. "Also, I don't need a wand for some spells. I can throw things with a flick of my hand, or call things to me. A lot of the basic spells I can do without a wand as well. Harder things need a channel for my magic, like my wand."  
  
Hermione was amazed. "That's incredible." She said.  
  
Raid sat quietly for a moment. Then looking up she had a huge smile on her face.  
  
"There is something else I can do, that I personally think is more useful than anything else I can do."  
  
Hermione watched as a look of utter concentration passed Raids face. Then slowly the roots of her hair began to change colour. The colour slowly spread down to the tips of her hair. Raid smiled as she looked in the mirror. Her hair was now blond but with purple highlights.  
  
"Oh my God!" Hermione squeaked. "You're a Metamorphmagus!"  
  
Grinning Raid nodded. "Cool, isn't it. Come on we should get to breakfast, its 8 o'clock."  
  
Hermione followed her, completely astounded. This girl had to be one of the most unusual people she had ever met. 


	4. Potions

*Firstly, thanks to all my reviewers ( And also a disclaimer I probably should have put in at the start. Oops.  
  
I do not own any other characters in this story other than Eriador.  
  
Shall we get on with it then*  
  
Potions  
  
As they entered the Great Hall for breakfast Raid looked up at the enchanted ceiling.  
  
"Its enchanted to look like the sky outside you know." Hermione said.  
  
"Yes, I know" Raid said. "I read it in Hogwarts: A History."  
  
"Really? You read that too? I thought I was the only person. See Ron, someone else who's read Hogwarts: A History." Hermione said as she sat down.  
  
Glancing up from his breakfast he looked shocked to see Raid.  
  
"Who..?" He began to ask, then he recognised Raid. "Oh"  
  
"Wasn't your hair purple yesterday?" Harry asked Raid.  
  
"Yes" Raid answered absently. She caught Hermione's eye and they both burst in to peals of laughter.  
  
At the table Raid was introduced to everyone, Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George, Ron's sister Ginny and Dean and Seamus, Lastly she was introduced to Neville. When she was introduced, a sadness passed in to her eyes and she went very quiet and did not speak to anyone for the rest of the meal.  
  
Hermione nudged Raid a few minutes later. "Come on, its History of magic first"  
  
Just as the were getting up a tall boy with blond hair walked over. Harry and Ron both scowled at him and Hermione looked at him with great distrust.  
  
"Don't worry Potter, Weasel. I'm not here to talk to you. I've come to see the new girl" He spat. Holding out his hand to Raid who was only about an inch shorter than him he said. "Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy, Slytherin."  
  
Raid glanced at his hand but then ignored it. She looked directly in to his pale blue eyes and saw the slight look of fear pass them as he saw the blackness of her eyes.  
  
"So you're Draco Malfoy. Well I've heard quite a bit about you. Not much good I might add. But anyway. I'm Eriador Minorita." Raid replied.  
  
A slight look of shock registered in Malfoy's eyes as Raid walked past him, followed by Hermione, Ron and Harry. All of whom glared at Malfoy. But Malfoy was oblivious to the looks they had given him, he turned and stared at the girl who had just given him her name. He had heard a lot about her from his father, but had never thought he would meet her, or that he would be attracted to her. Pushing the thought of her from his mind he walked slowly to class.  
  
History of Magic was about as boring as Raid had expected it to be. She wrote notes to Ron and Harry all lesson, having tried to, to Hermione who wouldn't participate. Then after lesson she conjured her skateboard and skated round the halls and jumped down a few flights of stairs scaring some second years witless. Then she turned to try and find her way to her potions class. It took her about 10 minutes to find, by which time she was very late. Tapping her skateboard with her wand it disappeared and she walked in to the classroom expecting to be in big trouble.  
  
"You girl. Who are you? And why are you late to my lesson?" Snape said in a dangerous voice.  
  
"Err.. Sorry Professor. I'm Eriador Minorita. I got lost. Its my first day" Raid said, praying it was a good enough excuse.  
  
A flicker of recognition past Snapes face when she said her name,  
  
"Yes well, you know your way here now, don't be late again. Come and sit down, there next to Malfoy." He pointed to the empty cauldron next to Draco,  
  
Hermione gave her a small smile as she passed her and Raid sat down next to Draco and took out the equipment she would need for the next lesson. Whilst Snape watched her with an oddly curious expression on his face.  
  
Realising what Snape was doing Raid looked up at him, he quickly averted his gaze and began the lesson.  
  
"Today we will be making the Draught of Peace. When taken it puts the user in to a relaxed sleep. The instructions are here on the board, follow them carefully or your potion will make the user go to sleep for a very long time."  
  
Snape paused and glared at Neville then Harry. Neville shifted uncomfortably in his chair, Harry stared defiantly back at Snape.  
  
"You may begin" Snape commanded.  
  
Without looking at the board Raid swiftly began to measure out and cut up her ingredients.  
  
Malfoy stared at her for a few minutes, "Aren't you even going to look at the board?" He asked incredulously.  
  
"No, why?" Answered Raid as she concentrated on adding powdered moonstone to her potion then adjusting her flame under the cauldron to allow her potion to simmer.  
  
She looked up at Malfoy with a sly smile.  
  
"Sorry, what were you saying?" she asked.  
  
Malfoy just stared, he'd barely just started mixing his ingredients, Raid had completed all the steps but the last one.  
  
"Nothing" He muttered. And turned back to his cauldron.  
  
Raid took out her mini-disk player and placed one of the headphones in her ear, the other she ignored so she could hear what was going on in the class. In one ear she listened to a muggle rock band and the other she listened to the strained silence in the potions room that was only broken by the sound of people cutting and pouring things in to their cauldrons, and sometimes the sound of students cursing under their breath. She concentrated on her potion, waiting for the exact time to add the last ingredient. Once she had done that she turned her mini-disk player off and placed it in her pocket. Then she put out the flame on her cauldron and began to clear away.  
  
"Eriador Minorita! Why have you put out the flame on your cauldron? And why are you standing up?" Snape asked icily. "You should know that putting out the flame in the middle of mixing a potion will render it useless, you silly girl."  
  
Raid turned and looked at him calmly.  
  
"I am aware that if you put out the flame whilst making a potion you render it useless Professor Snape." Raid stated. "But I was under the impression that with this particular potion, when it is completed if you keep it on the flame it is also rendered useless."  
  
The class held their breath. Sure that Snape would probably put Raid in to a cauldron full of the Draught of Peace for an answer like that.  
  
"You have finished your potion already?" Snape asked, glancing at a clock on the wall.  
  
To the shock of the class he seemed slightly disarmed by this new girl. But then returning to his usual coldness he asked Raid.  
  
"Why did you not call me over to make sure your potion was adequately made?"  
  
"Because I do not need you to check it, my potion is quite adequately made, I can assure you, Professor." Raid answered just as coldly.  
  
Some of the class openly gasped. They thought now that it was almost certain that Raid would be blasted in to oblivion for answering back like that. Snape however, coolly walked over to Raid looked directly in to her face and said smoothly.  
  
"Then you shall test it"  
  
Raid answered back almost immediately.  
  
"You have the antidote I presume?"  
  
"For your sake, you should hope so." Snape answered as he walked to a cupboard and drew out a ladle.  
  
Snape walked back to Raids cauldron and dipped the ladle in drawing out some of the steaming silver potion.  
  
"Stand." Snape commanded. "Mr Malfoy, if you would catch her."  
  
Ron, Harry and Hermione glanced worriedly at each other. It was bad enough that Snape was testing a sleeping potion on their new friend, but getting Malfoy to catch her was worse. He probably wouldn't catch her on purpose.  
  
Snape gave the ladle to Raid. She drank it, and within a few seconds she dropped. Right in to Malfoy's waiting arms.  
  
Malfoy gazed at the sleeping girl in his arms, he watched her closed eyelids, behind which he knew was the deep black depths that had shocked him this morning. Snape checked Raids pulse. He seemed satisfied, then taking out a small bottle he poured some of the liquid in to Raids mouth.  
  
Raids eyes flickered open and met Malfoy's that were still staring at her. She held his gaze for a moment.  
  
"I think you can let me go now Draco." She said coyly.  
  
Raid got up and slyly winked at Harry who was watching her aghast. Then turning to smile at Snape she said.  
  
"Are you satisfied?"  
  
Snape looked like he was completely mortified by having to say this.  
  
"Yes."  
  
The Gryfindors in the class applauded loudly. Many of the Slytherins glared at Raid, obviously wishing she had not woken up. Malfoy however was still staring at her.  
  
"Be silent and get on with making your potions" Snape snapped. "I expect them all to be to Miss Minorita's standard at the end of the class."  
  
With that Snape strode moodily to his desk and sat staring at the wall for the remainder of the lesson. Raid gave Malfoy a dig in his ribs with her elbow and whispered.  
  
"Well get on with it."  
  
Then she continued to pack away. The rest of the lesson past slowly and Snape just told them to leave when the bell rang, without checking anybodies potions.  
  
*Well there you have it. I have no more of the story written yet so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. I'll try to make it as soon as possible though R&R peeps* 


	5. Thinking

*Chapter 5. hmm I wonder how long this is going to go on for???? Oh well. Tell me if its getting too boring/tedious or whatever.  
  
Oh Yeah I forgot to say last time. This story is sort of meant to happen along side of Book 5 so you may see elements of it in the story. Just saying that not all the plot is my own because I wanted to slot the story in with the books. If that makes any sense what so ever.*  
  
Thinking  
  
"I don't believe it!" Harry exclaimed to Raid, Ron and Hermione over lunch. "If me or Ron had walked in to a potions lesson 15 minutes late Snape would have given us detention for a month!"  
  
"It is strange, he looked at you really weird Raid, like he knew something." Hermione said. "But he may just have been lenient with you because it is your first day and everything"  
  
Harry and Ron didn't look convinced.  
  
Then Ron laughed.  
  
"I've never seen Snape sulk like that. You really showed him up Raid." The four of them fell about laughing.  
  
Neville came over and sat down next to Harry.  
  
"What are you lot laughing at?"  
  
"Snape." Ron manage to say after taking a breath, then falling about laughing again. Raid had stopped laughing and was looking at Neville with that same sadness in her face that was there earlier. Then suddenly she just got up and walked out of the hall. The other three stopped laughing.  
  
"Where's she gone?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know." Hermione said looking a little concerned.  
  
The others finished their lunch and made their way out to the castle grounds for a quick walk around the castle grounds before their next lesson. Neville left them at the front doors to go and make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.  
  
"I hate Divinitation." Ron said angrily. "It is the stupidest thing I have ever done!"  
  
Harry nodded in agreement, but said nothing, thinking of the prediction Professor Trewlawney had made 2 years ago. Harry was still deep in thought about Wormtail, Sirius and Voldemort, when he heard Ron exclaim.  
  
"Look, over there! There's a black Unicorn. And there's someone next to it!" When Harry looked up he couldn't see any Unicorn, But he saw Raid walking towards them her long hair blowing in the wind.  
  
"Where's a Unicorn?" He asked Ron dumbly.  
  
"Umm, I don't know. It's gone. But I swear I saw one. Ask Raid." Ron answered. Hermione stayed quiet but waved and grinned at Raid who had just reached them.  
  
"Sorry guys, I had to get some air." Raid said.  
  
"Did you see a Unicorn over there? A black one?" Ron asked excitedly.  
  
"A black Unicorn? Over there?" Raid said. Then she paused and looked at Ron then Harry. "Yes. It's mine." She said.  
  
Ron and Harry's mouths fell open.  
  
"Yours?" They asked, lost for words.  
  
"Yes" Raid grinned at Ron and Harry's astounded faces. "I have Arithmacy next Hermione. You said you do too. Where do we have to go?"  
  
Taking her cue from Raid Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah I do, come on we'd better get going, see you later guys."  
  
She and Raid walked to the castle leaving the two shocked boys staring after them. As soon as the boys couldn't see them any longer they burst in to fits of laughter.  
  
"Did you see their faces?" Hermione squealed.  
  
"That was so funny." Raid said once they had calmed down. "I feel really bad just leaving them like that, but it was very funny. I'll tell them about Shadow properly later."  
  
"Where did you get him?" Hermione asked as they walked to Arithmacy,  
  
"I found him as a new born when I was walking a woods 4 years ago. His mother had been killed and he was all alone and running away from a hunter. He's very rare. I raised him myself, I conceal his horn, the family I live with think he's a normal horse that I found. I've only recently been able to ride him really. He was too young before. And he's still got some growing to do. This place is ideal for him." Raid said, staring out the window at the Forbidden Forest as they waked down the long corridors to their classroom.  
  
"Wow. A concealing charm. That's very advanced. Especially for use on a Unicorn." Hermione said.  
  
"It took a lot of practice. But comes in very useful. Not just for hiding Unicorn horns." Raid said slyly. "I'll teach you if you like. You can practice on Shadow." Hermione's eyes lit up.  
  
"Really? You would? That would be so amazing." Hermione said excitedly. Hermione gave Raid a hug around the shoulders and then walked in to the Arithmacy class. Raid followed her grinning.  
  
Arithmacy bored Raid. It wasn't that she could actually do the work, because some of it she was finding hard to grasp. But at the moment she would rather be out in the school grounds with Shadow, racing the wind through the forest. She wanted to explore the forest, all of it. She new there was some very dangerous animals in there so she would have to be careful, very careful, since the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds anyway but mainly because of the huge colony of Acromantula that lived there. Raid wasn't sacred of spiders, but knowing there were spiders as big as a bus in there didn't exactly make her feel great. Raid gave an involuntary shudder at the thought of a spider as big as a bus. Hermione looked at her and raised an eyebrow with a smile on her face. Raid laughed at her and shook her head.  
  
"Just thinking about spiders as big as buses." She whispered to Hermione. Hermione frowned and then laughed quietly.  
  
"I don't even want to know why." She laughed.  
  
After the lesson they walked to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, slowly.  
  
"I hope you like writing." Hermione warned Raid. "That's all we ever do in this lesson."  
  
"You don't do anything practical at all?" Raid asked, shocked.  
  
"Most certainly not." A voice came from behind them. "There is no need to tutor you in the practical uses of Defence Against the Dark Arts."  
  
Raid turned around to find herself looking at the large woman with the toad like face she had met the evening before. Professor Umbridge didn't look very pleased to see Raid in her class.  
  
"I see you found your robes then, Miss Minorita." She said icily.  
  
Raid looked down at her robes and pretended to look shocked.  
  
"Oh my, would you look at that, there they are. Sneaky little things." Raid said in mock sincerity.  
  
Hermione and the other students around tried to stifle laughs. Professor Umbridge glared at them. The class filed in to the classroom and stood behind their desks. Raid took an empty seat nest to Harry. He and Ron had just joined the class from their Divinitation lesson. He stood and scowled at Professor Umbridge and rubbed the back of his right hand.  
  
"Good Afternoon class." Professor Umbridge said cheerily, smiling, which in Raids opinion made her look more ugly.  
  
Raid said nothing, but the rest of the class droned.  
  
"Good Afternoon Professor Umbridge." There were a few more scowls other than Harry's directed at her now.  
  
"Sit down class, today I would like you to read and copy chapter 3 of your textbooks, thank you" Professor Umbridge said and sat down behind her desk, taking out a lurid yellow quill and some parchment.  
  
Raid raised her hand.  
  
"Yes Miss Minorita? Is there some problem with the task I have set?" Professor Umbridge asked Raid.  
  
"What use is theory of Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Raid asked. "Surely it can not help us if we were to be attacked."  
  
Professor Umbridge smiled at Raid as if she were a two year old.  
  
"It is very unlikely you will ever have need of the spells, it is very rare that witches and wizard will get attacked."  
  
"But.." Raid began.  
  
"There is no 'buts' Miss Minorita. I have already had this conversation with Mr Potter next to you. Now do your work." She then turned back to her piece of parchment on her desk and began to write.  
  
Raid however did not. She did not get out a quill, parchment or her textbook. She sat glaring at the fat woman at the desk at the front of the class. Raid knew a lot about what was really happening in the Wizarding world. She knew a lot about the resistance and of Voldemort and his movement and followers. She was kept informed by a man who was a distant blood relation, someone she called a cousin. And in return she collected her own information and gave it to him. Raid sat and thought of her cousin and where he was at the moment. She wished she could help him. But it was out of the question she couldn't endanger him.  
  
"Miss Minorita! Why are you not writing? Why in fact have you not even got your textbook out?" Professor Umbridge shrieked.  
  
Raid was snapped out of her thoughts by this. She rested her dark eyes on the professor and saw her flinch.  
  
"Because Professor, I studied this book in great depth when I was six." She said smoothly.  
  
She saw rage course through Professor Umbridge and enjoyed the look of mixed shock and anger playing across the teacher face.  
  
"Just because you are the." Professor Umbridge began to say, but stopped herself and her gazed flicked around the class as if she had just said something wrong. She began again, "I will not be spoken to like that, get out of my class and do not come back!" She said the last few words being shouted.  
  
"With pleasure." Raid said grinning evilly at the Professor. Then picking up her back she murmured to Harry, Ron and Hermione.  
  
"She you at dinner."  
  
And with that she strode out of the classroom smiling.  
  
*ok there you go. What do you think? Any pointers would be appreciated. R&R* 


	6. Tears

*Sorry its taken a little longer to get this chapter up, I've been lacking in inspiration lol. Anyway thanks to Dragon Princess, Islandgirl801 and BubblySweetAngel and QTsweet2003 for your reviews. They are soooooo great, I really appreciate it. I might try and push the story on a little bit in this chapter, then reveal something about Raid in the next chapter. Not sure yet, we'll see how it pans out.  
  
Here is the next chapter for those of you that read it, I'm going to keep writing because I like to you non reviewers cant get rid of me, hahahaha *evil laugh**  
  
Tears  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione hurried out of the Defence Against the Dark Art classroom quickly to go and find Raid at the Great Hall.  
  
"That was a really bad thing to happen on Raid's first day." Hermione said. "I mean with the OWL's coming up this year and everything."  
  
"I don't think she's really going to be missing out on anything though." Ron said. "I mean it seems like she's pretty confident in her ability."  
  
Hermione grinned in spite of her worry for her new friend.  
  
"You have no idea." She said mysteriously to the boys.  
  
Both Harry and Ron looked at Hermione curiously. Wondering what she knew that they didn't. They didn't bother to ask because they had heard that mysterious tone before, she would never tell them anything about it. Shaking their heads, the boys followed her in to the Great Hall for dinner. They sat down at the Gryfindor table and looked around for Raid. She was nowhere to be seen. They carried on looking for her through the students slowly filing in from their last lesson.  
  
"Where is she?" Harry asked.  
  
The other two shook their heads.  
  
"I'm starving." Said Ron. "Come on, lets eat then go and look for her. She's probably already eaten. Or will turn up later"  
  
With that Ron piled his plate full of battered fish and chips. Hermione and Harry followed his example but didn't fill their plates quite as full. The three of them quickly ate their food and since Raid had not shown they left quickly to go and search for her. Their quick search of the castle yielded no results. So they went to look outside, to see if she was with her Unicorn. As they made their way to the Entrance Hall they heard a strange noise, like wheels grinding on the floor, Curiously they made their way to the front doors. The noise got louder but was coming from behind them.  
  
"Hi guys!" came a shout from behind them. Raid flew past them on her skateboard and, flipping in to air just at the top of the stairs she skilfully twisted the board between her feet before coming to a gracefully landing at the bottom of the stairs. She turned the board and stopped, running back up the stairs to her friends she was breathless and smiled broadly at them. She stopped but then ran past them to the back of the Entrance Hall.  
  
"How was Defence Against the Dark Arts with the evil frog woman?" She shouted to them.  
  
"It was, uuh.." Ron began but was then totally focused on the piece of wood with wheels that Raid was propelling towards them with her right foot,  
  
"Boring." Harry finished for Ron. However he too was captivated by Raids skateboard.  
  
The three watched as Raid came up to the hand rail that swung down the middle of the stairs to the Entrance Hall. Once again she flipped the board up, but this time caught the end of the board on to the hand rail and began to slide down it. The board stalled and Raid was pitched forward down the stairs. She rolled down the stairs and came to a stop when she hit the floor at the bottom.  
  
Her friends issued cries of concern and raced to the bottom of the stairs to help her. They found her lying on her back, laughing. Hermione offered her hand to Raid. Using the offered hand, Raid pulled herself up, still laughing.  
  
"Why are you three looking at me as if I'm completely mad?" She asked once she'd got control of herself.  
  
"Because you uh, just fell and rolled down six steps?" Harry said incredulously.  
  
"Oh that." Raid said simply. "I laughed because I've been trying to pull that trick or ages, never managed though."  
  
"Oh." Was Harry and Ron's reply to this unusual statement.  
  
"Come on Raid, we'll go to the kitchens and get you some food. I presume that you have been out here since you left DADA (A/n I got bored of writing defence against the..) and are now completely starving." Hermione said.  
  
"Now you mention it Mio, I am starving. Lead the way to the kitchens." Raid said.  
  
"Mio?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yeah why not?" Said Raid. "I have a nickname I think Hermione should too. What do you think?"  
  
"Mio." Hermione said to herself, she looked at Raid and smiled. "Yeah I like it. Guys?"  
  
"I like it." Harry said, "Yeah." Ron agreed. "Mio." He said ginning.  
  
Raid picked up her folded robes that were lying by the doors and the others noticed she was wearing her normal clothes. She was dressed in long, very loose, what looked like men's black combats and a short red t-shirt with her trainers just showing from underneath the trousers. They watched as she took out her wand and made her skateboard disappear.  
  
"Come on then Mio." She said, turning to Hermione.  
  
"See you guys later." Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah, see you." Harry said. Turning to Ron he said, "Well she is different." They both laughed and made their way up to their common room.  
  
An hour later the two girls made their way in to the common room. They collected some books, parchment and a quill and made their way over to a table where Harry and Ron sat. They were doing Divinitation homework.  
  
"What about next Thursday? I've already used drowning." Ron asked Harry. Trying to decided how he would die next week.  
  
"How about." Raid said, "You will be killed gruesomely by another student?"  
  
"Perfect." Said Ron.  
  
Hermione pursed her lips but said nothing. The boys knew she disapproved of this method of doing their Divinitation. However she had to admit that it was a good idea, Professor Trewlawney loved a good tragedy. Hermione would never say so the Harry and Ron though. Putting down their books, Raid and Hermione sat down.  
  
"What are you doing tonight?" Harry asked.  
  
"Arithmacy." Raid said darkly. "I hate homework."  
  
"Really?" Hermione said surprised. "I would have thought that you didn't mind doing it, Since you know everything anyway." She joked.  
  
"I don't know everything!" Raid said in her defence. "This Arithmacy is hard. I just hate doing homework, I can think of a number of things I'd rather be doing."  
  
"I know, I know." Hermione soothed. "I was just kidding."  
  
Ten minutes later, Raid looked up from her work, thoroughly bored.  
  
"Have you guys ever been in the Forbidden Forest?" She asked the other three.  
  
Harry grinned at Ron. "Yeah, a couple of times." He said "Really, tell me about it." Raid said excitedly.  
  
Harry and Ron launched in to the tales of Hagrid's dragon, then of the Chamber of Secrets and Hagrid's advice of 'follow the spiders'. Hermione even put down her quill and joined in the conversation about the Forbidden Forest.  
  
"Could you remember where the Acromantula nest was?" Raid asked Harry and Ron.  
  
Ron visibly paled under his freckles.  
  
"Why, why? You don't what to go their do you?" He asked sounding terrified.  
  
"No, no, no. Definitely not!" Raid said with force. "I want to know so I can avoid it!" Then she continued in a whisper. "I want to explore the forest, all of it. On Shadow. I could probably handle most things when I'm with him, but I'd be no match for a spider as big as a bus." She shuddered as did Ron, who was looking decidedly ill.  
  
"You want to explore.." Harry began slowly but was cut short by Neville coming over.  
  
"Hi guys, do you think you could help me with my Divinitation homework, I just don't understand this whole star thingy." He said, sitting down next to Raid.  
  
Harry and Ron laughed. "Yeah sure Neville, we don't either. We'll let you in on our little secret."  
  
Raid glanced at Neville. And quickly got up  
  
"I err, I'm going to go to bed I think. Long day, see you tomorrow, Harry, Ron, Mio." Raid said hurriedly and quickly made her way to the girls dorm, bumping in to people frequently and muttering apologies.  
  
"What's up with her?" Ron asked.  
  
"I don't think she likes me." Neville said in a small voice, looking at the desk. "She hasn't spoke to me since she arrived."  
  
"Well that is true." Harry said. Then sounding annoyed. "She always leaves when you arrive. That's not right, it's rude!"  
  
"Yeah." Ron agreed. "I know Neville, tomorrow at breakfast when she's sitting with us at the table, come over and sit down, if she leaves we'll go and have a word."  
  
"You would? Thanks guys. Anyway this homework.." Neville said, sounding somewhat relieved at the hearing of a plan.  
  
Raid sat on her bed, the drapes closed. Silent tears were falling down her cheeks. She sat lost in thought of the past and current events. She couldn't help who she was, but she couldn't stop it hurting her. She lay down and cried herself to sleep.  
  
*Gasp* What is going on???? Hahahaha you'll to wait and see. R&R peeps* 


	7. Truth

*heheeee cliffy. Evil me. Chapter seven *

Truth 

****

Raid was already up when Hermione awoke. She was sitting on her bed, her hair a dark black, making her look distinctly eerie with her deep black eyes. She gave Hermione a small smile. 

"Morning." She said quietly.

"Hey." Replied Hermione. "Sleep well?" 

"I suppose." Raid said dully.

Hermione got dressed and the two girls went down to the Common Room to meet Harry and Ron to go to breakfast. The boys were already there waiting for them, leaning casually on two of the armchairs chatting. The four of them made their way to the Great Hall, Raids subdued mood affecting them all.

They sat quietly and Hermione began to talk to Harry and Ron about the days lessons as sleepy students came in to the hall and ate their breakfast. Harry, Ron and Hermione ate a hearty breakfast, but Raid only picked at her food, not eating more than a few mouthfuls. 

Harry and Ron looked up and smiled in greeting to Neville who had, as planned, come over to sit with them. Raid, lost in deep thought did not notice him as he sat down next to her. Harry and Ron looked at each other, clearly confused.

"Good Morning." Neville said cheerfully.

At this Raid looked up at Neville. She looked in to eyes and said.

"I'm sorry."

Tears filled her eyes and she got up and walked swiftly out of the Great Hall. Harry. Ron, Hermione and Neville looked at each other, astounded, even more confused about Raid's behaviour than before.

"What was that about?" Ron asked. "She can't have heard us talking last night."

"I have no idea, but she doesn't seem the type of person to nearly burst in to tears over something like that. What is going on?" Harry asked. "Come on, we'll go after her and ask her."  
  


"I don't know whether we should Harry. She looked pretty upset." Hermione said.

"We have to find out why she's being like this with Neville." Harry said forcefully.

He and Ron stood up and both looked at Hermione.

"Fine." She said, conceding defeat and getting up.

"You stay here Neville, we don't want her running off again." Harry said.

With that the three of them left the Great Hall hurriedly.

Raid was sitting, watching the huge cold lake that stretched out in front of the castle. She raised her face to the warm glow of the sun as it found a gap in the rolling clouds  to shine down on Hogwarts. She closed her eyes and wished she could be someone else, just for a moment, to be away from everything, all her problems and the truth, the awful truth.

Raid opened her eyes and looked up at the three shadows that had covered the sun. She quickly looked at the floor again.

"What is going on?" Harry demanded.

"Nothing." Raid lied quickly.

"Nothing? Why will won't you speak to Neville, its unfair on him." Ron countered.

"You don't know… what its like." Raid said, still looking at the floor.

"What, what is like? You can't just treat people like that." Harry snapped.

Raid jumped to her feet. She was taller than Harry by a few inches and her dark eyes and dark hair made her look menacing. Harry took a step back.

"You have no idea, I'm sorry its patronising, but you have no idea how much it hurts me to look at Neville Longbottom. Knowing what I know about him." Raid said, her face full of truth and anger.

"I know that his parents were tortured in to insanity by the Lestranges and other Deatheaters, you don't need to treat me like a 10 year old." Harry shouted.

Hermione and Ron looked at Harry, shocked.

"Harry, how…?" Hermione began, but Harry cut her off.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that Eriador can not treat Neville like this just because she knows of what happened to his parents." Harry said, his voice full of venom directed at Raid.

Raid gave a short laugh, but she didn't sound amused at all. Turning she walked away from the three questioners and then a few paces later she turned back to them.

"You want to know the truth then? You want to know who I really am?" She shouted, her voice full of emotion.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were completely disarmed by this. What was she talking about?

"What do you mean, who you really are?" Harry said cautiously.

Raid smiled a sarcastic smile, it had come to this so soon. She knew it would have come about at some point, but this was her second day at Hogwarts. She looked up at the sky once more, then in a few steps she had crossed the gap between her and Harry, their faces were inches from each other. Her dark eyes looked deep in to Harry's green ones, she saw his pupils shrink rapidly making them a brighter green.

"My name," She said silkily, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is Eriador Lestrange. My mother," She continued, seeing a flash of recognition in Harry's eyes. "is Bellatrix Lestrange."

Hermione gasped, Ron just looked confused and Harry backed away from Raid slowly.

"You know Harry, I know you know, I can see it in your face." Raid said. 

Harry could see it clearly, the moment in one of Sirius' rooms.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Harry was now looking at the name to the left of Andromeda's burn: Bellatrix Black, which was connected by a double line to Rodolphus Lestrange. 

"Lestrange…" Harry said aloud. The name had stirred something in his memory; he knew it from somewhere, but for a moment he couldn't think where, though it gave him an odd, creeping sensation in the pit of his stomach.

"They're in Azkaban," said Sirius shortly.

Harry looked at him curiously.

"Bellatrix and her husband Rodlphus came in with Barty Crouch junior," Said Sirius in the same brusque voice. "Rodolphus's brother Rabastan was with them, too."  

Then Harry remember. He had seen Bellatrix Lestrange inside Dumbledore's Pensieve, the strange device in which thoughts and memories could be stored: a tall dark woman with heavy lidded eyes, who had stood and proclaimed her continuing allegiance to Lord Voldemort, her pride that she had tried to find him after his downfall and her conviction that she would one day be rewarded for her loyalty.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J.K Rowling

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Another memory flashed through Harry's mind, of the year before, whilst sitting in Dumbledore's Pensieve.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

The Dementors placed each of the four people in the four chairs with the chained arms which now stood on the dungeon floor. There was a thickset man who stared blankly up at Crouch, a thinner more nervous looking man, whose eyes were darting around the crowd, a woman, with thick shining dark hair, and heavily hooded eyes, who was sitting the chair as if it was a throne…

Crouch stood up. He looked down at the four in front of him, and there was pure hatred in his face.

"You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law." He said clearly, "So that we may pass judgement on you, for a crime so heinous-"

"Father." Said the boy with straw coloured hair. "Father… please…"

"- that we have rarely heard the like of it within this court." Said Crouch, speaking more loudly, drowning out his son's voice. "We have hard evidence against you. The four of you stand accused of capturing an Auror- Frank Longbottom- and subjecting him to the Cruciatus curse, believing him to have knowledge of the whereabouts if your exiled master, He Who Must Not Be Named-"

"Father, I didn't!" shrieked the boy in chains below. "I didn't I swear it, Father, don't send me back to the Dementors-"

"You are further accused," bellowed Mr Crouch, "Of using the Cruciatus curse on Frank Longbottom's wife, when he would not give you information. You planned to restore He Who Must Not Be Named to power, and to resume the lives of violence you presumably led while he was strong. I now ask the jury-"

 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J.K Rowling

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

*They you have it, what will happen now? You will have to wait and see!!!, Sorry about the long extracts from J.K but they are necessary for people who haven't read the books or have read them, but cannot remember things :P PLEASE R&R for me*


	8. Friends

*EEEK I can't have angry reviewers!!! Love you guys. Right then, chapter 8*

Friends 

****

Whilst the memories were playing over in Harry's head like a movie he was slowly backing away from Raid, a look of pure horror in his face.

"Stay away from me." He whispered harshly. "Go on, get away from me." He shouted at Raid.

"Harry.." Hermione began to reason.

"No, Mio. It's ok. I'll go. Its his opinion." Raid said reasonably.

Ron stood gaping as Raid walked a few steps backwards her face a picture of betrayal, then turning she walked at a reasonable pace towards the Forbidden Forest. She seemed to be shrouded in darkness as she walked. There was no sunlight shinning through gaps in the clouds now, the sky looked dark and heavy. Light drops of rain began to fall from the sky, but Raid kept walking at her steady pace, not looking back once.

Harry stormed in to the castle, Hermione and Ron following quickly.

"Harry, stop!." Hermione said loudly. 

Harry stopped and turned slowly to face them.

"You can't do that to her. It's not her fault. She can't help who she is." Hermione said.

"Don't you understand Hermione?" Harry said venomously. "Deatheaters spawn Deatheaters! She will be just like her mother, and her father."

"Her father wasn't a Deatheater." Hermione said quietly. "Bellatrix Lestrange had another lover, her husband wasn't known for being very powerful."

"What?" Harry exclaimed

"Raid's father was very powerful, like I said Bellatrix's husband wasn't  that powerful. So it can't be him." Hermione said reasonably.

Harry looked at her incredulously.

"What does it matter?" He spluttered. "Her mother was evil. She will be evil as well, look at her eyes. They are black, evil." He said darkly.

"Harry that's silly, its possible that they are black because of that, but saying that she will be evil because of that is just prejudice." Hermione said, shocked.

"Yeah Harry, think about it." Ron cut in.

"I have thought about it!" Harry shouted to them. "She is evil! She should be in Slytherin, where she belongs, with all the other evil people."

"Harry that's an awful thing to say." Hermione said quietly 

"I don't what you talking to her Hermione, she's bad news. Stay away from her." Harry warned her.

Hermione looked at Harry in complete astonishment.

"You can't tell me to do that Harry." She said now sounding slightly angry with him.

"I can and I am, stay away from her." Harry said dangerously.

"She is a good person, I can see that, even if you can't. Don't you dare tell what I can and can't do Harry Potter!" Hermione shouted at him.

They locked eyes for a few moments and neither said anything, Hermione pushed past him and quickly walked away, anger visible from every motion of her body.

Hermione avoided Harry all day, this meant she didn't see Ron either because he was with Harry. She looked for Raid at regular intervals as well, but never found her. She wasn't at any of the meals and didn't attend any of her classes. Hermione collected work for her even though she knew that it was likely that Raid new it all any way.

Evening came and still Raid had not appeared. Hermione was vaguely worried for her although Raid could clearly take care of herself. But she knew Raid hadn't eaten all day, where was she?

Hermione slowly walked up to the girls dormitory after doing her homework wondering whether she should go to Professor McGonagal. When she reached the dormitory. She found the hangings on Raids bed closed. She was back. Hermione turned and ran out of the dormitory quickly. 

"Raid?" A voice came through the curtains, surrounding Raids bed.

"Yeah, what?" Was the reply.

The curtains opened to show Hermione holding a tray covered in food and a pitcher of juice.

Raid couldn't help but smile.

"Come on in." She said, holding back one of the curtains.

She took the tray off Hermione and placed it carefully on her bed as Hermione climbed on to the end of the bed, careful not to upset the tray. Raid shut the curtains once more. She was still fully dressed and appeared to have been reading a thick book. labelled 'Animagus: How to..' 

"Past time reading." She said innocently.

Hermione looked at her sceptically. Then began to speak hurriedly.

 "Raid, I'm so sorry. I don't think any of things Harry said. I hope you can forgive me, I still really want to be friends." She looked as if she was about to burst in to tears.

Raid looked mildly amused.

"Don't worry about it Mio. I knew that it was possible that people would react this way when they found out. Its nice to have someone on my side though. So you don't think I'm here to take your souls again?" She asked joking.

"No." Said Hermione laughing. "I thought you might be hungry though." She said gesturing to the food.

"Starving." Raid answered and tucked in to the food.

She paused.

"I suppose you want the full story then." She said, sighing.

Hermione nodded. "Only if you want to though."

Raid chewed on a bite of a hamburger thoughtfully. Then with casual flick of a wrist a black veil covered the inside of the bed hangings.

"Just in case our dear housemates decide to listen in." She said casually.

"Well." She began. "Its quite a long story. My mother was always in to the Dark Arts and such. A bit of an evil side, well a lot if you ask me. She became a devoted Deatheater very young. But my father loved her, they met in Paris about one year and nine months before Voldemort's downfall." Raid said slyly. "And fell in love, well he thought she loved him." Raid said sadly. "He didn't know she was married. It was a brief fling of a couple of weeks, but I was the result. After my mother left Paris, my father wanted to see her again. He knew she would be pregnant. He went looking for her, he went to my mothers house and before he knew it, she had killed him. To save her marriage." Raid said savagely. "She told her husband that my father was an agent of the Order who had come to kill them, so she had killed him. She found out she was pregnant a few weeks later. I was born two Christmas's before Voldemort's downfall. My mother knew I wasn't her husbands, she also knew I would be powerful. A very powerful tool of her 'Dark Lord'.  But unfortunately for her she was captured shortly after Voldemort's night with Harry and I was put in to the care of the Minorita's. I learned of my past when I was very young, my foster family, unbeknown to the Ministry, were very keen on the Dark side, not Deatheaters I might add. They said I should be proud of my mother and 'father' who were serving the Dark Lord in Azkaban., his 'loyal' servants. But how I hated them." Raid spat. "When I was 5 I received a worded letter, from non other than my long dead father who told me truth about my heritage, I was very powerful, I must undergo training, blah blah blah. The letter it seemed was written just in case, what had happened, actually err happened.  A special tutor was sent to me, the Minorita's obliged, hoping I was being taught to serve their so called 'Dark Lord who will rise to power again'. However, I wasn't, my tutor was a friend of my fathers, he has taught me everything I know." Raid finished and took a drink from her glass of juice.

Hermione sat quietly for a moment. Then looked up smiling.

"That's quite some story. You should tell Harry and Ron, they would understand." Hermione reasoned.

Raid let out a short, "Ha."

"If Harry wants to know what I'm really like he'll have to come and ask me. Although it appears he's already made up his mind that  I'm the devil incarnate and pure evil etc etc." Raid replied sarcastically.

Hermione looked as if she wanted to say something else but restrained herself. Raid offered her a bar of chocolate, which she gratefully took.

The two girls stayed up until very late, well past midnight. They talked freely about everything. From crushes to music and movies. Hermione had few close girlfriends, Ginny was nice but it was good to have someone her own age to talk to. Raid was feeling slightly rejected at the moment, but Hermione had accepted her for who she was and Raid admired her greatly for that, had she been in Hermione's place her brain would have been on overload.

Finally the two girls were sleeping contentedly in their own beds dreaming peacefully.

*Ok, so this chapter wasn't great. Soz for the information on Raid overload. But I really need to get it over with. I need to get Raid a man, hmm. I have an idea. *girly giggle* OK you know what to do, hit the Submit review button just on the left of your screen, you know you want to. Btw ive made it so anyone can review now, you don't have to be signed in,


	9. Trouble

*Chapter 9, Thanks to all you lovely wonderful reviewers J Note to self: tidy up desk, is getting difficult to write as you have no room. Anyway, on with the story*

Trouble 

****

Hermione woke up to once again find Raid sitting across the room on her bed. This morning however her appearance was far from subdued. She sat smiling looking out the window whilst twirling a lock of bright red hair around her fingers. She looked over when Hermione awoke and jumped up

"Morning Mio!" She said cheerfully.

"Yeah." Hermione said, grimacing looking at the clock. 

Hermione got up and went to the bathroom whilst Raid successfully managed to wake up the other girls in the dormitory and piss them off in the process. All scowling and muttering they followed Hermione in to the bathroom whilst Raid sat grinning in the dorm. After a wash Hermione felt much more human, she went to get dressed, whilst she was pulling on her robes she heard Raid announce.

"I'm starving." 

"Well come on then 'Miss Starving' lets go and get some breakfast." Hermione jested.

The two girls entered the Great Hall laughing, many heads turned to stare at them. Raid's hair contrasted vividly with her robes. Many of the teachers sitting at the table at the head of the hall looked shocked, Professor Dumbledore looked mildly amused.

The girls sat down to a breakfast of bacon, sausages and eggs. As they were getting up to leave they came face to face with an angry looking Harry and a nervous looking Ron.

"Morning Ron." Raid said cheerfully.

Then she turned to walk away completely ignoring Harry who was focused on Hermione.

"I told you to stay away from her Hermione, she's bad news." Harry said dangerously. 

Raid turned back to face Harry. Before Hermione had any chance to say anything to Harry she said silkily in his ear.

"I don't think you have any right to tell Mio what to do."

With that she turned and walked out of the hall, leaving Hermione with Harry.

"Neither do I." Hermione whispered and walked out steadily to the doors of the hall without looking back.

Raid was waiting for her outside.

"I'm sorry Mio." Raid said sincerely. "I really am, this is all my fault that you are arguing with him."

"It is." Hermione said. "But I never thought Harry would react like this, he can not tell me who I can and can not be friends with." She finished smiling at Raid.

Raid smiled back and the two of them made their way to their Potions class.

Hermione sat next to Ron for the lesson, and did not speak to Harry who was staring menacingly at Raid. 

Raid sat and chatted comfortably to Malfoy, who was taken back by her friendliness to him. The lesson was a theory lesson and they had to work in pairs to research an invisibility potion they would be making the next lesson. Snape strangely had allowed them to talk in their pairs and sat moodily at his desk for the whole lesson.

"Why are you being so friendly towards me?" Malfoy asked Raid.

She looked surprised by his question but smirked at him nonetheless.

"Why not?" She countered.

"Well I'm a Slytherin for one thing, also hasn't Potter and Weasel warned you off me? I know that Granger isn't exactly a fan of mine." He smirked as he said the last sentence.

"Well Draco." Raid began. "I wouldn't let Potter warn me off anyone, and since he has a distinct dislike of me I doubt he will try anyway. And secondly because you are in a different house doesn't mean I have to hate you, I'd rather make up my own mind about you." She said.

"Oh." Malfoy said simply. 

He was rather astounded by this explanation. Also by the fact she had called him Draco, it was rare that anyone every called him that other than his parents and Pansy Parkinson.(sp?). He sneered at the thought of the pug face girl who acted like she owned him. 

The pair sat in silence till the end of the lesson, it was a comfortable silence and neither felt intimidated by it. Raid was the first one to speak, at the end of lesson whilst packing away.

"I'll see you around Draco." Then she smiled at him and turned and went to join Hermione.

Draco stood for a minute, he had felt his insides melt when she smiled at him. How was a girl completely disarming him like this? He needed to sort himself out, he was a Malfoy and always in control of things. His Malfoy pride and arrogance kicked in, he wasn't going to be pushed around by this girl.

As Raid and Hermione left the classroom, Raid heard a shout that strangely she knew was directed at her.

"SLUT!"

She turned to see who had insulted her and she felt a hand slap her across the face. Although it was evident that the attacker had put a lot of force in to the slap Raid's head only turned slightly when the impact came. A faint red hand mark appeared on the left side of Raids face as she turned to face her attacker.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked calmly looking over the slightly over-weight girl wearing too much make-up in front of her.

"I'm Pansy Parkinson." The girl said proudly with her nose in the air. She was short and barely reached Raids shoulder in height. "And you are a slut." She said finally.

Raid smiled evilly.

"Is that so?" She asked.

"Yes. I've seen you flirting with Potter and Weasley   And with my Draco. You're nothing but a slut with stupid hair." She shrieked and she drew her hand back to slap Raid again.

But this time as the hand came round Raid caught Pansy's arm. A look of utter shock came over Pansy's face.

The smile had left Raid's face.

"I don't think so." She said smoothly.

And then she punched Pansy squarely in the face and let her fall.

"Are you finished? Or do I need to hit you again?" Raid asked icily.

Pansy sat on the floor with her hand over her nose.

"She.. she.." Pansy said.

As Malfoy walked past she clutched at his robes.

"Draco! Look what she did to me." She whimpered.

"Yes Parkinson I can see she hit you. And by the way, I am anything but 'yours'." Malfoy said coldly as he walked by.

Pansy burst in to tears.

Raid turned to Hermione.

"Shall we go then?"

Saying nothing, Hermione nodded and followed Raid out to the school grounds for their Care for Magical Creatures lesson.  

*There you go my darlings, read and review!*


	10. Disembodied Hands

now for chapter 10 (oooo double figures), what on earth to write about? The muses appear to be avoiding me at the moment

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Disembodied Hands 

****

The week past quickly for Raid. She and Hermione had become the best of friends. Which was a good thing since Harry was refusing to talk to Hermione and just scowled at Raid. Ron of course sided with Harry on the issue although never openly criticized Raid.

Raid easily matched Hermione's grades in all subjects except Arithmacy. Hermione however did not feel pressured more to get better grades, she did not feel competitive at all for some reason. Raid was very modest in all her lessons when she could be.

It was Friday night and Raid was bored. As it was nearly nine o'clock she was still allowed out of the common room, but Hermione was on prefects patrol so there was no fun to be had with her. So Raid decided to head out on her own.

Dressed in her black baggy trousers and a tight red vest top Raid was quite an unusual sight in Hogwarts with her vibrant purple hair. She looked good in these clothes, it was a muggle fashion that her muggle friends dressed in and she loved the style. It also annoyed the hell out of her foster parents. Raids beloved skateboard appeared in her hand, graffiti sprawled across the back of the deck. The castle was an ideal place for a skate, lots of stairs and handrails. Avoiding other students as well was a challenge Raid enjoyed, especially seeing their terrified expressions as she wove in and out of them in the wider corridors.

This evening found her on the sixth floor working her way down the castle. The corridors were practically deserted. She whirled past the paintings hanging majestically on the walls, causing a stir from their owners. A large figure appeared in front of Raid, it turned and scowled at her. Professor Umbridge.

Raid groaned and brought her board to a stop, flipping it up to her hands. Halting in front of the frog resembling woman Raid looked down in to the teachers face expectantly.

"What on earth are you doing?" Umbridge asked acidly.

"Skating, obviously." Raid replied.

"I will not be spoken to you like that!" The teacher shrieked. "You will stop immediately. And where are your robes young lady?"

"There are no rules to say I can't skate professor." Raid drawled the last word as if it was an insult. "And we have been through this before. I don't like wearing robes. And since I do not have any lessons till Monday I am not going to wear them." She finished finally.

Umbridge looked as if she was about to explode.

"I have never been spoken to in such insolence." She squeaked. "Detention!"

Raid laughed.

"I don't think so Professor. Good Evening"

With that last remark she put her board down, placed her foot on it and rolled away down the corridor quickly, laughing all the way. She loved annoying that teacher.

Wrapped up in her skating, Raid quickly became lost. But she figured she couldn't do anything but keep going. She glanced behind her as she moved along and looked back down the corridor that looked exactly like the one before. Then turning back to look where she was going she crashed right in to something hard, and noisy.

"What the!?" Exclaimed the hard thing she had crashed in to. It sounded male.

They were lying in a crumpled heap on the floor entangled in each other.

Raid saw a flash of grey-blue eyes and blond hair. She grinned.

"Hey Draco." She said brightly.

Draco twisted his head around, which appeared to be under Raids lower legs and scowled at her.

"Seems we've found something that you're not so good at." He drawled.

Raid blushed and began untangling herself from Draco's wiry body. She stood and held out her hand to Draco to help him up. He ignored the hand and got up himself. Raid raised her right eyebrow at him.

"Actually, I can skate quite well, you were in the way." She retorted.

"I was in the way? You crashed in to me, because you weren't looking where you were going!" Draco snapped.

"A minor detail." Raid said airily. "You could have moved."

Draco just scowled at her.

"Stupid muggle device." He muttered and kicked the skateboard.

"Hey!" Raid exclaimed angrily. "There's no need for that. There are a lot of useful and fun muggle 'devices' as you call them." Raid said, defending the world where most of her friends came from.

"Yeah well, whatever." Draco said dismissively.

"Yeah, whatever." Raid snapped irritably and skated off round the corner.

"Eriador, wait." Draco called regretting his words immediately. But she didn't hear, she was already gone.

"Shit." He muttered and kicked a wall. The portrait above the section of wall he had just kicked looked at him disapprovingly.

"Kicking walls never got anyone anywhere young man." The portrait said. "More often that not it just made the building fall on their head." It finished thoughtfully, and walked out of the painting.

Draco just stood staring dumbly at the empty portrait.

"Malfoy!" A sharp voice shouted at him.

Draco's head snapped away from the empty painting to see Hermione walking towards him quickly.

"What do you want Granger?" He said snidely.

"You should be patrolling the west wing, not the east you stupid git." Hermione snapped. "Go there!"

Draco stared at her in open disgust at her telling him what to do. But then to Hermione's surprise he turned on his heel and walked swiftly away, in the direction, it seemed, of the west wing.

Hermione came in to the common room at 9.30. Finding Raid sitting in an armchair gazing absently out of the window, she made her way over, ignoring the cold stare she got from Harry as she passed him and Ron playing wizard chess. She collapsed in to a chair opposite Raid and sighed.

"Uh, Malfoy." She spat. "I swear, he is the most annoying person alive."

Raid giggled.

"He hasn't been to bad to me actually, except for tonight." She said, a small frown creasing her forehead.

"He's probably in love with you or something." Hermione said in disgust. This brought a smile to Raid's face once more.

"Ha, I think not." She laughed

"What happened with Malfoy tonight?" Hermione managed to ask.

"Oh I bumped, well crashed actually, in to him when I was skating this evening. He was a bit of and idiot about it. I just left when he started insulting, 'muggle devices'" Raid said laughing. "It was nothing."

"Oh. Well anyway, what are you doing tomorrow?" Hermione asked.

"I was going to spend the morning with Shadow, I haven't been able to see him much, other than our morning rides." Raid replied.

"You get up at that ungodly hour every morning?" Hermione asked, shocked as if it was breaking some kind of law.

"Yup." Raid said happily. "What are you planning on doing tomorrow? You can come and see Shadow if you like?"

"Oh I was going to go and catch up on work in the library. Can I come and see Shadow some other time?" Hermione asked a little wary in case she had offended Raid.

But Raid did not seem fazed at all by the rejection at all.

"Ok then, I'll come and meet you after I'm all cleaned up then. I've got some work to catch up on as well."

The evening past quickly, the girls never ran out of topics to talk about, they sat and talked and laughed until 12 o'clock when they retired to the dorm to bed.

Raid of course, instinctively woke up at her ungodly hour in the morning. She looked out of the window and watched the clouds race each other across the sky. There would be a storm tonight, she thought. Then she disappeared from the room and reappeared in the forest, near her horse. That morning she gave her horse a thorough grooming till he shone. Then with hooves pounding they ran through the forest as if they themselves were racing the clouds. Raid was breathless as she slid off Shadows back, when they were once again in the clearing she had found him in on the first morning she had been at Hogwarts. Conjuring the saddle and bridle away she gave her horse a final loving pat before apperating back to the dormitory. It was still only 10.30 but the girls she shared the room with were up and gone.

Collecting some new clothes Raid went in to the large bathroom and had a long relaxing soak in the small- pool, sized bath. Finally, forty-five minutes later she appeared in the dormitory again, wearing a pair of jeans that were tightly fitting around her hips but flared out at the bottom covering most of her trainers. She wore a simple black thin strapped top. Her hair was blue.

As Raid walked slowly along the long corridor leading to the library she felt distinctly uneasy. Like someone was watching her. She shrugged the thought off, there were of course numerous painting hanging on the walls, who were actually watching her.

Then as she past a small alcove in the wall disembodied hands grabbed her and pashed her against the wall. She struggled but then realised that her assailant had a body as well. She looked up in to their face. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Draco." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought."

But Draco stared intently in to her eyes and put a finger to her lips, she instantly fell silent. He brought his head to her ear.

"I know who you are, I know who she was, and I know what she did." Draco whispered in Raid's ear.

Then pulling back he looked directly in to her deep inky eyes.

"You should have been in Slytherin. And you should be with me." He said finally.

"I don't think.." Raid began stubbornly but was cut short.

Draco lowered his head to hers and gently pressed his lips against hers. Pulling away he said.

"Think about it."

Then he turned and walked away leaving Raid astounded against the wall.

Gasp!!! Oh my goodness. Now I just have to decide whether Draco really is the baddy he seems to be. It's a tuff one to do without making it to cliché. Input from you guys would be good. Also, shall I make Raid an Animagus or would that just take the p???? What do you think. Please tell me, I got no reviews last time L


	11. In the Moonlight

OMG OMG I'm like going to see Evanescence and Muse!!! Not together but within a month of each other!!! Faints

Anyway, thanks sooo much for the reviews. Thanks to Sar aka Bubblysweetangel, and Dragon Princess for your support and thanks to IslandGirl801 for your input and suggestions, I agree about the Animagi part. I'm trying very hard not to be too dramatic.

Now, What to do with Draco. I don't know, I don't know!!! Bangs head against the wall I know you suggested that he would blackmail Raid, but I think he genuinely likes her so I need to work a way around that so he can still be nasty grrr think, think bangs head against the wall some more

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**In the Moonlight**

****

Raid walked in to the library in a daze. Draco Malfoy had just kissed her. She was quite surprised, to say the least. She found Hermione and sat down next to her, Hermione was engrossed in her book and did not look up as Raid sat down.

"He…just…me…oh dear." Stammered Raid.

Hermione looked up at Raid.

"Wow, hair." Hermione said. Then noticing the dazed look on Raids face. "Are you ok? You look a bit… out of it."

Raid immediately snapped out of her daze. She smiled at Hermione.

"What? Oh I'm fine. What are you reading?" She said as normally as possible.

Hermione didn't look convinced but let it go.

They spent the afternoon in the library, Raid took out her mini-disk player and allowed the loud rock music to calm her. She held a quill over a piece of parchment she was meant to be writing a History essay on but couldn't think of anything to write. She sat there like that for ten minutes before putting the pen down and taking up a book to read. Her eyes never moved from the same spot on the same page Hermione noticed. However she ignored it, resolving to ask Raid what was bothering her when she was slightly more 'with it', she seemed slightly shaken.

Raid was perfectly normal in all appearances, except for her blue hair, for the rest of the afternoon. She chatted and laughed with Hermione over dinner and Hermione forgot that Raid had acted strangely earlier that day. When they got back to the common room later in the evening Raid laughed hysterically and Hermione fumed over one of the first years who had accidentally been turned in to a small cow, by one of the Weasley twins new skiving sweets.

"Too much newt juice." Fred managed to gasp to Raid, through their hysterical laughter.

Finally, when Raid had caught her breath she made her way over to her favourite armchair by the window that looked out over the grounds of the castle. She glanced out of the window and saw a lithe figure walking towards the lake, she watched as the moonlight flashed off their blonde hair. Draco, she thought.

Making her way to the portrait, she called to Hermione, who was sternly talking to the Weasley twins who were trying very unsuccessfully to look serious, that she was going for a walk.

Swiftly Raid made her way out to the school grounds and towards the lake. She saw the shadowy figure sitting on a rock by the lake. He looked slightly menacing in the dark and Raid's resolve almost failed. But she reminded herself she was not afraid of anything, and walked confidently up to the figure. She sat down on the rock and looked out over the lake, watching as the moon escaped from the dark clouds and lit up the murky waters.

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a minute or so.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Draco said still staring out at the lake.

Raid looked at him questioningly.

"Kicking your skateboard and snapping at you." He reminded her.

"Oh that, don't worry about it," Raid replied. "Muggles aren't all that bad you know." she said gently.

Draco made a noise that sounded like a 'hrumph'.

"They're not. Believe me." Raid insisted. "I don't agree with what you said this afternoon by the way." She finished quietly.

"Which bit?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the lake.

"The bit about me being in Slytherin, just because she was. I'm nothing like her." Raid said calmly.

Draco gave a short laugh.

"But you are like her, whether you want to be or not. Its in your eyes. They are black because her evil is in you." He said, turning his head to look in her eyes.

"Everyone has evil in them Draco." Raid snapped. "In some, more so than others. But you always have a choice, you don't have to use it, there is always a choice." She looked pointedly at Draco. Then got up and began to walk away.

Draco got up.

"Eriador wait." He shouted. This time she heard him and stopped. But she didn't turn round.

He walked up to and turned her round.

"I understand what you're saying, but can we talk about my evil side some other time?" He pleaded. "Did you agree with the other thing I said this afternoon?" He asked quietly, looking at the floor.

"I don't know." Raid whispered, staring at the sky.

Draco put his hand to her chin and leant down to kiss her but she sharply pulled away and looked straight down.

"What's the matter?" Draco asked sounding hurt.

"Nothing." Raid stammered. "It's just, well, I've never.." She stopped and looked away, avoiding Draco's searching eyes.

"Raid. Raid look at me." Draco commanded. Shyly Raid raised her head, in the moonlight Draco could see her cheeks had blushed a light scarlet. He pushed a stray strand of blue hair behind her ear. "Raid I don't care."

He lowered his head and gently kissed her. As he pulled away from Raid he looked in to her dark eyes, she looked strangely vulnerable but she was smiling. He wrapped his arms around her. Slowly, hesitantly Raid slid her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his shoulder. In the darkness they embraced.

In the Gryfindor common room Hermione sat reading a book she had borrowed off Raid. Harry came over and sat in the chair in front of her looking uncomfortable.

"If you've come to tell me to stay away from Raid, you might as well not bother, I've told you that you can't tell me what to do." Hermione said icily without looking up from her book.

"I've err, come to apologise."

Hermione looked up from her book.

"I've been a bit of an idiot. I've thought it over and I realise that I can't tell you what to do and who to be friends with." Harry said sincerely.

"That's very noble of you Harry. But really I'm not the one you should be apologising to. Raid isn't a bad person, she's shown me nothing but friendship this week." Hermione replied shortly.

"Yes I err may have misjudged her. And I will apologise to her as well." Harry said sheepishly.

Hermione then smiled at him.

"We all make mistakes Harry, I'm sure she will understand." She said gently.

"You think so?" Harry asked.

"I'm sure."

Harry looked satisfied. He sat back and looked out of the window. It looked like a storm was brewing. The wind was getting up. He glanced down at the grounds of the castle and saw a couple kissing in a patch of moonlight. He saw blond hair flicker in the light and blue hair shine in the darkness. He gaped.

"She's…She's kissing Malfoy!" He exclaimed.

Hermione glanced out of the window, she looked momentarily shocked, then she shrugged and went back to reading her book.

"I told you she was bad news. Now she's snogging the enemy! Surely that shows you she's evil! I'm not apologising now!" Harry said angrily to Hermione.

Hermione looked up patiently.

"Just because she's snogging Malfoy doesn't means she's a bad person Harry." She said this slowly, as if she thought Harry wouldn't understand.

"Yes it does! Only a bad person would like Malfoy! He's horrible to everyone." Harry shouted now.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Go away Harry." She sighed.

"She'll only end up hurting you Hermione, just remember I said that." Harry snarled.

Hermione apparently hadn't heard, she was engrossed in her book again.

I can not think of anything else to write. Oh dear. Well what do you think? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Review Review!!!


	12. Meeting Friends

*I'm back!!!! Hope you haven't forgotten me. I've been writing for you whilst I've been away, lots of ideas. I even have a plot!!! How amazing is that! I've done a chapter plan anyway. May go to about chapter 20! Anyway we're not there yet.

Thank you for all my reviews, 26!!!!! I love you guys!!!

Did any of my readers go to Reading festival on Friday?? Linkin Park were so amazing. Chester is sooooo fit! I have some nice souvenir bruises from the crowd lol. 

Thanks for reading my other story those that did. I'll be updating that soon as well. 

Sar sorry I didn't ask you to Reading. ;) This chapter for you. (even if it is a bit boring, the next chapter which should be more interesting can be dedicated to you as well) J  

Meeting Friends 

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It was past midnight when Raid made her way up to Gryfindor common room. As she entered she looked around guiltily for anyone who may have seen her entrance. Mercifully the room was empty. The fire was low, but still gave off warmth. Raid collapsed in to a soft armchair in front of the hearth. Thoughts crowded her mind of  the events of the past few hours. She, a Gryfindor, was the new girlfriend of a Slytherin! And not just any Slytherin, Draco Malfoy! If there was anyway to betray her house, this was it. But it felt so right be in his presence, in his arms. What would Hermione say? What would Harry say? This brought a grin to Raids face, Harry, of course, would hate it. She hated having enemies, but Harry was so wrong about her it was laughable. Dating Draco Malfoy would be the ultimate betrayal to him. 

And Draco's dark side, what of that? Raid could guess enough to know he was involved in the Dark Arts, but how heavily was he immersed in them? Did he expect Raid to join him in practicing the Dark Arts because of her parentage? She wouldn't, never.

A noise from the girls stairwell made Raid leap to her feet. She relaxed when she saw it was Hermione

"Mio, I…" Raid began.

"Don't worry Raid, I already know about you and Malfoy." Hermione said, sighing as she remembered Harry's outburst earlier. She walked over to the chair opposite Raid and sat down.

"How? How do you know?" Raid asked, sitting back down.

"I saw you by the lake with him." Hermione said simply.

"Oh, Did err, anyone else see? Raid asked tenetively.

"Yes, Harry saw." Was the reply.

"Oh."

"He wasn't too happy." Hermione said, grinning.

Raid gave her a small smile.

"Mio, look  I'm really sorry. Really I am, but I just…" Raid began quietly.

"You can't help how you feel." Hermione finished for her. "I know Raid, You can't control how you feel. God knows I've tried." 

The last part of what Hermione had said did not sink in to Raid.

"I'm sorry for everything, you've lost your two best friends because of me and now I'm with the person you hate most in the world. I'm so sorry." Raid said and put her head in her hands.

"Raid, don't worry. How the boys feel about you is their problem, but we're speaking again now anyway, well, sort of. And as to Malfoy, well, as long as you don't expect me to be nice to him, I suppose I could cope with you two begin together." Hermione said smiling.

Raid looked up and looking relieved grinned back.

"Thanks Mio. That means so much to me. Hey! What did you mean about you not being able to help what you feel?" Raid asked, what Hermione had said just dawning on her. 

"Oh, err… nothing. Hermione said, looking guilty.

"Go on, who is it? Tell me." Raid pleaded.

"No-one!" Hermione half whispered, half shrieked. It was a strange combination and came out in a very high pitched squeak.

"Go on." Raid whined.

Hermione looked at the floor.

"George." She whispered.

"Weasley?" Raid shrieked.

"SHH! Keep your voice down!." Hermione said frantically.

"George? Hmm, yes, I can see it." Raid said slyly. "Why do you feel so bad?"

"Well, because of Ron. I think he kind of likes me more than a friend, and its his brother. So I feel bad." Hermione said sadly.

"Well you don't like Ron like that do you?" Raid asked.

"No!" Hermione answered, shocked.

"Well there you are then. He hasn't made a move on you, so that's his loss, and you don't like him anyway. So there's no reason for you not to get with anyone else." Raid said excitedly. "You and George should so get together."

"I don't know Raid." Hermione said looking apprehensive. "I mean, why would he be interested in me?"

Raid rolled her eyes.

"Hermione, you're very pretty. You just have to act it, then people will notice." Raid said.

Hermione scoffed.

"I don't think so."

"Its all in your attitude. If you act like you're pretty then you will believe it."

Raid danced up the stairs to the dormitory, Hermione followed at a slower pace shaking her head, thinking that Raid was completely nuts.

Hermione groaned as she woke up and saw Raid dancing around the dorm with her headphones on and humming to the music. Raid was wearing a pair of low slung hipster jeans with wide flares at the bottom and another of her small thin strapped tops. Her hair was still blue, but today was about three inches long and spiked in random directions. It made her look like a large fairy. The thought made Hermione grin as she got up. She picked up her jeans and a t-shirt as it was Sunday and wandered to the bathroom waving to Raid who was still dancing.

When she came out Raid had put her headphones away and was looking wistfully out of the window at the Forbidden Forest. 

"What are you doing today?" Hermione asked, pulling a brush through her hair.

"I'm meeting Draco. What about you?"

"I'm going to catch up with Ginny, it seems like ages since we've spoke."

The two girls parted at the door of Gryfindor common room.

Raid spent the day with Draco. They spent the day mainly alone outside, away from the other students. They knew the gossip would be terrible. Raid discovered that Draco possessed a wonderful sense of humour and also, despite the fact he was one of the brightest students in the year, was amazingly naive about muggles and technology.

"And what is Vod-ka?" He asked Raid after she had explained how she and some muggle friends had got very drunk in the summer and one of them had fallen in to a pond. 

"I'd forgotten how much of a muggle drink Vodka is!" Raid exclaimed. "You'll have to try it some time." She said evily.

Draco's attempts to use Raid skateboard she found hilariously funny. However he did progress from falling off as soon as it started moving, to being able to stay on whilst it was moving, then falling off when it slowed down because his weight was too far forward and the board would shoot from underneath him. Leaving him either flat on his face, or flat on his back.

At the end of the afternoon Draco finally managed to keep the board going. He turned his head and shouted at Raid.

"Look! I can do it!"

A few seconds after that, he crashed, quite dramatically, in to a wall.

Raid ran over to help him, he was lying in a tangled heap with a Hydrangea bush. She retrieved the skateboard and helped Draco up. He was limping as she led him to a patch of grass and sat down.

"I thought I was getting the hang of this skrateboarding thing." He grumbled and rubbed his ankle.

Raid laughed.

"You are sweetie, you are. And its skateboarding by the way." She said with an evil grin.

Draco scowled at her. She saw he had a scratch down his right cheek.

"Are you badly hurt?" She asked, concerned.

"Terribly." He said.

Raid put her hand on his.

"Poor baby." She said in a very unsympathetic tone.

Draco glanced at her, she was staring at the castle. Quickly he jumped on her, sitting on her stomach, pinning her down with his legs.

"Liar." Raid said accusingly.

Draco just grinned down at her. Then he lowered his head to hers and kissed her gently.

The next week passed fairly quickly. Nothing exceptionally exciting happened. Raid split her time carefully between Hermione and Draco. She also became friends with Ginny. Ginny and Hermione spent a lot of time together and Raid began to join them. Ron and Harry had told Ginny what they knew of Raids story. Raid told her everything she had told Hermione, once she was sure she could trust Ginny. Within the week the three became fast friends, they were often seen studying in the library together or chatting animatedly in Gryfindor common room. Ginny was livid with her brother for siding with Harry against Raid. She wasn't talking to him.

Draco and Hermione and Ginny had stayed apart for the week. But finally on Sunday when the three girls were studying in the library, they all met.

Draco came over to the table they were sitting at, he kissed Raids cheek and sat down. Hermione and Ginny ignored him. The four sat silently for a moment until Ginny spoke.

"Malfoy, can I borrow that book for a minute, if you're not using it." She asked, gesturing to the book that lay closed at his elbow.

"I suppose the Weasley's are still too poor to buy their own books, so they need to scavenge from the more well off." Draco drawled lazily.

Raid glared at him.

"Look ferret boy. It has nothing to do with whether she owns the book or not. She just wanted to borrow that one." Hermione said coldly.

"Shut up Granger. It has nothing to do with you. You are just a Mudblood." Draco said nastily.

 Hermione scowled and drew out her wand.

"That's enough! All of you!" Raid snapped, slamming her book closed. "Draco, you will not come over here and insult my friends like that. You will not call Hermione that name again, and you won't insult the Weasley's either. I know these are your views, but you do not need to share them with us. Got that?" Raid whispered forcefully, aware that Madam Pince was staring at them.

Draco just glared defiantly at her. She scowled at him, got up and stalked out of the library. Her blue hair, which seemed to be her favourite shade, as well as the purple, shining in the candle light. 

Hermione and Ginny gave Malfoy withering looks and he too got up and walked swiftly out of the library.

"Raid!" He shouted, running to catch up with her. "Raid wait!"

She did not stop, so he ran faster and caught up with her. He grasped her shoulders and turned her round.

"Raid." 

"Get off me!" She snarled and pulled from his hands, turning away from him and walking a few paces away. Then she stopped.

"Raid I'm sorry."

She turned back to him.

"Are you really?" She asked.

He walked up to her and put his hands on her waist and looked in to her eyes. She did not resist his touch.

"I'm sorry." He repeated, sincere. "I can't help how I feel about them, its what I've been brought up to believe. But…" He paused as she saw her mouth open in protest. "I won't insult them in front of you. But you can't expect me to change."

"I'm not asking you to." Raid sighed. "I wouldn't ask you to change for me, you have to want to change for yourself."

Raid put her arms around his neck and they embraced tightly. 

"So am I forgiven then?"

"Well I think you still have some making up to do actually." Raid said seductively in his ear. "

* Ok peeps. It was kind of a filler chapter just to show you Draco's still a bit of a baddie. But you cant help but love the bad guys anyway I swear the next chapter is better, lots of dramatics hehe. My favourite. Review. Review. Next chapter up soon! *


	13. Hunted

*Sorry its taken me a while to update. Anyway thanks to lovevanillacreme that review was very very very very helpful. New plot twist coming soon peeps! This may kinda ruin things, but I'd hate to have people thinking they were related, but they're not, don't worry. It will be revealed later on, maybe about chapter 16 and defiantly in the last chapter. So bear with me.

Sorry if its too much of spoiler lol, but I had to say they weren't cousins

Thanks to my other reviewers as well, you guys rock.

Ok dramatic chapter! YAY!

Hunted 

****

Monday came too quickly for Raid. The morning found her back in her robes with her hair long and purple once more. She sat through History of Magic bored and fidgety, there was no note passing with Harry and Ron this lesson. Although she knew she was safe inside Hogwarts, she felt a nagging in the back of her mind that something was not right and that it was something to do with her.

In potions she took her usual seat by Draco. He placed a gentle hand on her leg and she gave him a brief, but warm smile. Just as Professor Snape started to talk Raid heard a voice in her mind.

"Help!" It shouted.

She looked around to see if anyone else had heard. No-one else appeared to. It came again.

"Help me!" 

Suddenly Raid instinctively knew it was Shadow. She had to help him. She got up and swiftly ran out of the classroom, leaving the stares of the other students behind her.

"Mr Malfoy, if you would be so kind as to fetch back Miss Minorita." Professor Snape drawled.

When Raid was in a deserted hallway she shed her robes, underneath she had her trademark black combats with a t-shirt. Then, concentrating hard, she disappeared. 

She apperated in a clearing in the forest, just as Shadow galloped across it full pelt. She whistled shrilly. Hearing the familiar noise, the large Unicorn swerved and galloped towards Raid, she turned slightly and the horse slowed to a canter as Raid leapt lightly to his back. Entwining her fingers in his mane tightly, she shouted the concealing spell for his horn above the din of the hooves on dirt. The horn shimmered and disappeared as the horse picked up pace.

Raid heard a shout behind her. She turned to find 5 men on broomsticks chasing them at speed. They had their wands out and were preparing to fight. They all wore black robes and look of gleeful pleasure on their faces as they chased the Unicorn. Hunters.

Suddenly a black figure appeared right in front of Raid, Shadow reared and turned to find the other hunters had caught up. Before Raid could call up her shield she was hit by five curses. They opened deep wounds on her back, chest, legs and the right of her face. Pain laced through her body, momentarily making her freeze. Finally Raid managed to call up her shield, Shadow was unharmed, his own brand of mysterious magic protected him. The horse backed away from the hunter slowly and Raid shot curses at them. She was weakening as they fought deep in to the forest. Their curses rebounding off her shield and hers being dodged by them on their swift broomsticks. The forest was getting darker and Raid could see her pursuers getting nervous, she was getting weaker by the second, the blood pouring from her wounds draining on to Shadows black coat and falling to the floor. 

The hunters, all of a sudden, turned and flew away quickly towards the light that was the edge of the forest. At that same moment something large hit Raid in the back. She felt two very sharp pains in her right shoulder. Eight legs gripped her body as the Acromantula sunk its fangs in to Raids shoulder, the poison seeping in to her body quickly. Shadow reared violently, Raid somehow managed to say seated, but the large spider, about one metre in width, was thrown from Raids back. Shadow immediately, went in to a full gallop despite his exhausted state. He raced for the light that showed the edge of the forest and safety of Hogwarts. Raid glanced back and gasped in shock, hundreds of huge spiders were scuttling as fast as they could towards them. They kept coming and coming as Raid slipped in to delirium, the spider poison entering her blood. 

As soon as they reached the light of Hogwarts grounds, the spiders stopped, they didn't seem to care to chase their prey in to the light. However Shadow kept galloping, his exhaustion showing now through his faltering stride. 

A figure raced of the front doors of the castle and ran as fast as it could towards the galloping horse.

Draco had searched everywhere for his girlfriend. He had been out of Potions for over half an hour now, Professor Snape would not be happy. Draco was now walking toward the main entrance hall, he glanced out of the window and did a double take. Her saw the dark figure of a horse with a rider bent low over its back as it raced out of the cover of the Forbidden Forest. He saw a large dark mass moving behind it but he couldn't see what it was because it did not come out of the shadow of the trees. Although the horse was no longer pursued it carried on galloping, bearing its rider towards the castle. With a jolt, Draco realised the rider was Raid, and that she was bent over because she was injured. He raced to the entrance of the castle and towards the horse. When the horse reached him it came to an abrupt halt. He went to its side, to the rider. 

When Shadow stopped, Raid just slipped off his back. Her energy gone and her life force swiftly being drained by the poison that was coursing through her body, she was  barely conscious. She felt herself being caught by strong arms, she managed to focus on the face swimming above her. 

"Draco." She breathed, and slipped completely out of consciousness.

After Raid had barely whispered his name, she slipped in to darkness in Draco's arms. He looked down at her bloodied face and torn clothing, then to the exhausted horse, standing a little further away, its head bent low to the ground. Quickly Draco carried the unconscious girl to the castle and in to the hospital wing.

"Mr Malfoy, what are you.. Oh my goodness." Madam Pomfrey said as he walked in quickly.

"I don't know what's happened, I think she's been attacked." Draco said. 

He sounded strange without his usual drawl. He sounded, worried. 

He placed Raid gently on to a bed, as he drew back he looked a his hands and robes. They were covered in dark blood. He leant against the wall and slid down to the floor, staring at his hands, stained with blood. 

Draco glanced up at his pale girlfriend, who lay limply on the hospital bed as her blood continued to pour and soaked the sheets.

*ooooooooooooo What do you think??? *sigh * I love dramatic chapters  *


	14. Waking

Right then, I've decided to stat writing again, I really enjoyed writing this story even if some people didn't like it. But anyway I'll get going again, my style may have changed a bit since it has been a looong time since I've written anything for this fic, but I really really want to finish it. Anyway here goes. J

* * *

**Waking**

Raid lay in the hospital wing on the border of life and death for a good three weeks. The poison from the huge spider ripped its way through her body, draining her life force and giving her an almost translucent appearance. Then it was as if her body got sick of being ill and she began to quite suddenly recover. Though what little colour she usually had returned to her face and slowly her deep wounds from the curses began to heal themselves, she still did not wake.

Draco was at her bed side everyday, without fail. He did his homework on the side of her bed, and sat holding her hand for hours on end.

'Maybe there is a human under that arrogance and malice', Hermione thought as she walked in to the hospital wing, as she did everyday, to check on the process of her unconscious friend.

It seemed that she and Malfoy had come to an unspoken agreement, to not speak to each other. They glared at each other every now and then, almost challenging the others right to be there. Ginny also came frequently, she would sit silently with Hermione and Malfoy watching the injured girl they had known for barely two months.

Raid's attack had spread round the school in a matter of hours. Whispers in the corridors were frequent now, accompanying the rumours about Harry being a deranged lunatic they now talked about the quite random attack on Raid.

"Why was she in the forest anyway?"

"How did she get there?"

"Why did those people attack her?"

"I heard she was attacked by a huge spider"

"I heard she was with that Malfoy boy, maybe his father didn't like it."

Harry was almost glad that the talk was directed away from him. He did however begin to wonder that, in spite of her relationship to the miscreant, Malfoy, whether he had misjudged her. She had been attacked and barely got out of it alive, there didn't seem to be anything dark about it, if she really was evil wouldn't she have used some powerful dark magic to escape? And only dark and evil people hunt Unicorns, "only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain". Firenze's words echoed in his head. So she obviously wasn't in league with them. Harry was sure there wasn't another branch of evil wizards, they were all connected to Voldemort. And they had attacked Raid, maybe she wasn't one of them. He let it drop though, he didn't want to apologise. Not yet anyway.

On the 25th November, in the hospital wing, a young girls eyes fluttered open. A sliver of moonlight was sliced across her face illuminating her dark eyes. She smiled. Sitting up, she looked at a strand of her hair, which had returned to its original shade, dark blond, almost brown. She scowled. Concentrating hard, she turned it black. Gasping from the effort of using her own magic she lay back down for a minute. She was still magically weak.

Once her breath had returned and her heart had stopped beating twenty to the dozen, she swung her legs out of bed and got up. Finding that physically she had enough energy to run miles she began to examine the extensive damage done her body. There were two ping pong ball sized scars on the right, lower part of neck, where it joins the shoulder. Thin white scars, barely noticeable sliced down her side, her left arm and both her legs. Slowly she walked to a mirror at the end of the ward, closing her eyes she stepped in front of it. Carefully opening them she scrutinised her face, she knew she had been struck there. As with the other scars, the one that curved down her right cheek was very thin and almost imperceptible. But Raid scowled, knowing it was there. Other than that, she analysed, she looked just as she did before the attack. Her expression softened as she realised that she could hide the scars when she wanted. When her power came back, but she didn't know when that would happen. It was something to do with Acromantula poison, she was sure she'd read somewhere about it affecting magic.

She poked her head round Madam Pomfrey's office.

"Umm, I'm better, can I have some clothes? Please" Raid asked.

"Oh my! When did you wake up? My, my. That is quite miraculous. Here, these are yours. But you will have to stay here a couple of days so I can keep an eye on you. You can't be too careful." Madam Pomfrey said, looking quite surprised that Raid was on her feet and wandering around.

"Why won't my magic work?" Raid asked as she took her clothes.

"That would be the remnants of the poison, now you're awake though, that will go away quickly, you'll be fine within a week."

"Oh, good. Thanks"

Raid got changed and sat on her bed. It seemed to be about 5 in the morning. She decided that she wasn't staying in here longer than lunch, she wanted to surprise people by being at lunch. What day is it she wondered?

The day it turned out, was Saturday. Draco arose early, as he had done everyday Raid had been in a coma. She was the only person he'd ever actually felt something for, except his father, who he did not love but respected greatly, Draco was proud to be a Malfoy. He loved where he came from and what he represented. The continuation of a pure blood line. He dressed and wandered to the Great Hall for breakfast with Crabbe and Goyle, threatening a few Gryfindor first years as he passed them. He would go and see Raid after breakfast he decided, just to check on her. Then he would go flying.

He made his way to the hospital wing, expecting to see Raid's limp form still lying in the bed, but hoping that she would in fact be sitting up, healed and smiling at him when he went in. However, when he got there, neither sight met his eyes. He saw the bed empty and Madam Pomfrey standing by it shaking her head.

"Where… where is she?" He stammered. The colour draining from his face. He felt the bottom of his stomach drop about 3 feet.

"Well, Mr Malfoy, your guess is probably as good as any." Madam Pomfrey replied.

"You mean she's not… She's better?" Refusing to voice what he had thought, hoping there wasn't too much relief showing in his voice. Emotion was not something he enjoyed showing to teachers.

"Yes Mr Malfoy, she is better. Well she believes she is well enough to leave my ward." Madam Pomfrey said with immense disdain showing through her voice.

But Malfoy was gone. He searched the castle, high and low for Raid, but found nothing. Where was she? His stomach growled as he walked along a 4th floor corridor, it was lunch time. Disappointed he had not found Raid he trudged back to Great Hall for some food. As he walked in, he glanced absently at the Gryfindor table and stopped. She was there, sitting with Hermione and Ginny, chatting animatedly and laughing with the two girls. He felt a pang of jealously that she had gone to find them before him, but whilst thinking this, as if she felt his eyes on her, Raid turned in her chair to look directly at him. She smiled at got up and began to walk over to him. He felt his legs take him closer to her although he didn't remember telling himself to move. Raid threw her arms around his neck when she got to him and looked in to his face and his eyes.

"Surprise." She whispered.

All thoughts of envy left him as she kissed him, right there in the Great Hall with the students watching them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled one of his rare full smiles at Raid when she pulled out of the kiss.

Their relationship had now become, well and truly public. The students in the Great Hall cheered and wolf whistled whilst Raid looked around at them sheepishly.

"Hungry?" She asked Draco.

* * *

Ok I really think that, that chapter was a bit crap. To put it mildly. Sorry its short. But I am ill. What do you think anyway? I've got some more chapters planned, they should be veeeery interesting. Review plleeeeese


	15. Unicorn Hair

Ok ok, I know I am the worst updater ever. And I doubt anyone actually keeps reading this. But any way, heres the next chapter. J

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__

**Unicorn Hair**

The beginning of November dawned icy and cold outside of the castle, the inside however was cheery and warm, bright fires burned in every hearth and the candles were always lit. The dungeon kept specifically for potions however, remained cold, despite the fire burning in the single hearth. As the fifth years hurried out of the freezing dungeon Snape called to Raid to stay behind. Hermione cast Raid a worried look but continued out of the classroom and waited outside in the corridor. Draco looked mildly interested and let go of Raid's hand as she moved to stay behind.

The door swung shut as the last student left.

"Yes Professor?" Raid enquired.

"I trust you are fully recovered from your attack Miss Minorita? You have only been back in lessons two weeks." Snape asked, concern almost showing through his voice.

"Yes Sir, fully recovered." Raid answered cautiously.

"It is a truly miraculous recovery, do you study much around your subject?"

"A little", Raid answered casually. "Nothing of healing though."

"Really?" Snape sounded intrigued. "And what do you study out of lessons then?"

"Mainly about animals really, and a bit about concealment and disguise. Whatever takes my fancy."

"Hmm, well, you may go." Snape conceded, he rubbed his left arm uncomfortably and the action did not escape Raid.

"Bad arm Sir?" She questioned mockingly.

"That is none of your concern young lady." Snape snapped.

"None at all Sir."

"GET OUT"

"What was all that about?" Hermione asked as Raid left the room.

"I have no idea! He was asking me about what I study outside of lessons."

"Maybe he thinks you're practicing the Dark Arts." Hermione jested.

"Perhaps." Raid said thoughtfully.

The two girls hurriedly left the icy dungeons for the warmer levels of the castle.

The dinner in the Great Hall warmed them up perfectly, a thick winter stew was served with steaming mugs of coffee, tea, blackcurrant and pumpkin juice. Raid deliberately sat so that Hermione was forced to take a seat next to George, there were no others. Hermione blushed as she sat down but forced herself to remain composed. Raids plan didn't quite go as expected as Hermione and George soon exploded in to a blistering row over the twin's enterprising business of skiving snack boxes. Raid couldn't help herself laughing as George stormed out of the Hall after a blistering retort from Hermione.

"Well I think that went rather well." Raid said as she helped herself to some chocolate sponge.

"Shut up Raid." Hermione snapped, as she too helped herself to chocolate sponge.

Raid just grinned.

Later in the evening, Hermione and Raid were found in their usual spot by the window working. Hermione still wasn't talking to Raid, which Raid found highly amusing. Losing interest in her homework Raid leaned back to eavesdrop on some of the conversations in the common room. She could just hear the twins quiet conversation to her right, and the topic made her smile.

"If we could get hold of Acromantula poison that would be amazing." Fred said dreamily.

"Well if you want to go and get it." George said and laughed.

Fred visibly paled.

"Well, Unicorn hair would be just as amazing." Fred said.

"And just as hard to get." George countered.

They silenced as Raid pulled a stool over and sat down. She earned a glare of daggers from Hermione. She leaned over to the twin conspiratorially.

"How about, black Unicorn hair?" She whispered.

Both boys eyes shone.

* * *

"A business deal!!" Hermione shrieked. "A business deal with those two? You're helped them to get kids to skive off lessons you realise?"

"Actually Hermione. I was hoping that you would do the helping." Raid said cunningly.

"Me? How could I get Unicorn hair? And I'm a prefect, I couldn't possibly condone this." Hermione said, not quite shrieking this time.

"Well, its only a bit of skiving isn't it." Raid reasoned. "And think how impressed George will be when he sees you pulling hair off a black Unicorn?"

Hermione suddenly looked very interested.

"Me? George would be.. Ooooo"

"So you're going to do it then?" Raid said hopefully.

"Well, maybe. I'll think about it." Hermione said, but Raid knew she had Hermione snared.

"I'll tell them Saturday then."

Saturday morning, characteristically of Scottish winters, was freezing. Raid had them all outside the castle at 9 o'clock.

"Why are we outside in this weather, at this time in the morning?" Fred grumbled.

"Do you want Unicorn hair or not?" Raid challenged.

"Yes." Fred muttered sullenly.

Raid leaned over and whispered in Hermione's ear. "Now whistle, just like I showed you."

Hermione did, it was a shrill whistle and echoed round the frozen ground. The two girls had been out practising with Shadow the past week to get this just right and to chase away Hermione's fear of horses.

The two boys looked around warily, unsure of what to expect. In the distance they hear the drumming of hooves, it got closer. Fred and George glanced at each other uncertainly and then glanced at the two girls, they seemed totally relaxed. They look deep in to the forest and a dark shape seemed to detach itself from the gloom. As it got closer it took the form of a horse and then closer the boys could see it was a black Unicorn. In unison they gasped.

The Unicorn stopped about 10 feet away from the group of teenagers. Unused to so many people Shadow did not come closer.

"Come on boy, it's ok." Raid coaxed.

"Hermione held out her hand and the Unicorn took one tentative step forward, then another till he was next to the two girls, he still eyed the two boys nervously.

Hermione carefully moved to Shadow's tail and gently pulled out the stray hairs, making sure not to hurt him. Fred and George for once seemed lost for words.

"Will this be enough." Hermione asked.

Unable to speak Fred nudged George who simply nodded and held out his hand for the large handful of hair.

Raid grinned and with a playful slap on her horses rump she sent him galloping back in to the forest. Fred and George followed Hermione back in to the castle stammering their thanks. Raid followed at a slower pace grinning broadly as George glanced back at Hermione and winked at her as they parted ways at the entrance hall.

"Am I a genius or what?" Raid said.

"Yes you're a genius." Hermione conceded, rolling her eyes.

They made their way in to the Great Hall for breakfast and parted ways. Hermione going to the Gryffindor table to join Ginny, and Raid sliding over to the Slytherin table, she waved to Ginny as she caught her eye.

As Raid approached the Slytherin table Draco did not look up from his breakfast and a murmur of disapproval and anger passed through the table startling him. He glanced up, amid stares of disgust and looked at Raid. She ignored the hostile stares of the other students and smiled at her boyfriend.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked.

Draco glared at the second year sitting next to him and the young boy fled. Raid slid smoothly in to his seat and kissed Draco's cheek.

"Sorry I've been neglecting you." She whispered in his ear.

He gave her an unimpressed look.

"I thought I'd make up for it by spending the whole day with you." She said brightly. You don't have any other plans do you?"

"No." Draco said, trying to act sad but he couldn't suppress the smile that Raid always managed to extract from him.

"Well, it is my birthday on Monday, so I thought I had better get you on my good side." Raid said slyly with a giggle.

"Why you!" Draco began, but was silenced by a kiss.


	16. Secrets

I'll say it again, yes I'm the worst updater ever. But I had a sudden urge to write tonight after reading an interview with Philip Pullman, he's a dude.

Not quite sure what I'm going to write about though. Hmmm.

* * *

**Secrets**

"It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Wake up Hermione! It's my birthday!" Raid shouted, jumping up and down on the bottom of Hermione's bed.

"Mmmhhwhaa… huh?" Hermione mumbled.

Raid jumped off Hermione's bed now that she had successfully woken her, and the rest of the girls is the dormitory up. Lavender and Parvati gave Raid dark looks as they slouched in to the bathroom. Raid was oblivious, she sat on the floor with her presents around her. Hermione finally dragged herself out of bed to see what Raid had got for her birthday.

"So what have you got then?" She asked, looking curiously at the pile.

Raid began to proceed to explain her way through the odd assortment of items. There was a pile of Mini Disk's from her friends.

"They are all my favourite bands new albums!" Raid said enthusiastically.

A large variety of sweets and chocolate from other members of Raid's family sat on the bed, Raid reached up and pulled out some chocolate frogs, handing one to Hermione she then picked up a football sized box. When Raid took the contents out, Hermione gasped. It was a large black orb that, when touched by Raid, illuminated brightly and then showed a clear picture of the solar system.

"That's incredible," Hermione breathed.

"I'll never need another astronomy lesson again." Raid beamed. "This can show me any star or planet or moon I want it to."

Hermione got up and withdrew a present from under her bed.

"So that's where you keep them," Raid said thoughtfully.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"How old are you today Raid? Six?"

"Actually, I'm sixteen," Raid said proudly, putting her nose in the air.

Hermione rolled her eyes again, and gave Raid her present. It looked conspicuously book shaped. Tearing off the paper, Raid found that it was in fact, a book. She flicked through the pages and Hermione saw Raids eyes begin to shine. She smiled satisfactorily.

The title on the cover said, 'Unicorns: Through the ages and round the world'.

"Wow, it's wonderful! Thanks Hermione." Raid said, giving Hermione a hug as she watched a picture of a silver unicorn gallop across a snowy field followed by its golden foal.

"Come on we'd better get ready for breakfast." Hermione said as she got up. As she turned to walk away she nearly trod on something small and cube shaped.

"Hey what's this? You missed one." She said, handing it to Raid.

Raid looked at the small box curiously. The box was about as big as the palm of her hand. She opened the small catch and her breath caught in her throat as she opened it. A stunning ring was set inside the box. The slim band of silver gleamed in the morning light and the 3 emeralds set diagonally across a gap in the ring joining it together, sparkled dazzlingly. Hermione came round to see what had Raid so speechless. Raid was never speechless.

"Who…?" Hermione began

"I have no idea." Raid whispered.

She drew out the ring and slid it on to the index finger of her right hand, it was slightly too big, but once in place it magically shrank to fit perfectly. Raid once again, was speechless.

"It must be Malfoy." Hermione whispered.

"No." Raid said slowly. "He definitely said he would give me my present after breakfast, and I don't think he would give me a ring. We've only been together two months. But, who it could it be from? I don't have any more relatives who would send me gifts."

"Maybe it's a gift from you dad, sent from someone else." Hermione suggested as she pulled on her robes.

"Perhaps." Raid said thoughtfully as she dragged her attention away from her ring to getting ready.

In ten minutes the girls were ready, Hermione smiled and shook her head as she saw Raid change her hair from bright red to a deep purple.

* * *

Raid sat fidgeting the whole time through breakfast, continually looking over at the Slytherin table and then to the door. Draco had not yet come down to breakfast.

"Will you sit still!" Hermione said, exasperated, looking up from her Arithmacy book. "And have something to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Raid said. "Too many chocolate frogs. Where's Draco?" She whined.

At that moment the object of Raids thoughts strolled in to the Great Hall, looking very smug. He quite blatantly ignored Raid and sat down for breakfast. Raid continued to fidget.

"I will not go over there. I will win." Raid muttered to herself.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.

Breakfast ended and finally Raid gave up. As Draco left the hall Raid sprinted after him and jumped on him in the entrance hall.

"Good Morning." She said brightly, putting her arms around his neck.

"Morning," Draco said smiling. "You're in a good mood today." He commented.

"Yup." Raid said.

"And why could that be?" Draco teased.

"Because it's my birthday!" Raid squealed, jumping up and down, nearly throttling Draco.

"Ok, Ok! I'll give you your present, just stop strangling me!" Draco conceded, trying to stop Raid bouncing around like a maniac. "Stop bouncing, turn around and close your eyes." Draco commanded.

Raid did, squinting under her eyelids.

"I said close your eyes." Draco reprimanded.

Raid felt something brush her collarbone and she began to bring her hand up to touch it. Draco swatted it away.

"Not yet." He said.

"Ooow, meany." Raid grumbled.

Finally, Draco turned her back around.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now."

Raid immediately opened her eyes and fiddled with what she realised was a necklace. She drew the pendant up to examine it. It was a delicate star, wrought in silver, about an inch across. In the centre of the star was a small black stone that the light danced upon.

"Is this onyx?" Raid asked,

"It is." Draco confirmed. He looked slightly nervous, trying to analyse Raid examining face.

She looked up at him, a broad smile on her face.

"It's perfect Draco, thank you so much!" She said, throwing her arms around his neck again and hugging him.

Draco pulled back a bit it and looked in her eyes.

"You really like it?" He asked.

"I love it."

And Raid kissed him. There were wolf whistles and jeers from the students coming out of the Great Hall but the couple ignored them.

"By the way, that chain is charmed so it won't ever break. I know what you're like with your skateblading and horse riding and being attacked and stuff." Draco said mockingly as they walked slowly to potions.

Raid stuck her tongue out at him.

"You make it sound like I'm always being attacked and falling over and 'stuff'." She accused.

"How many bruises do you have from going out last night?" Draco countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Umm, well. Anyway, it's skateboarding. So there." Raid said, flouncing in to the potions classroom, earning a scowl from Snape.

Draco shook his head grinning. He was glad it was only her birthday once a year, she got way too excited.

* * *

Two weeks later and Raid was still catching up on work that she'd missed whilst being in a coma. She was struggling along with some Arithmacy in the library, when Draco appeared at her table suddenly making her jump.

"Don't do that to me." She said absently, going back to her work.

Draco smirked. Then he noticed the ring on her right hand. He gently picked up her hand and examined the ring.

"When did you get this?" He asked quietly. Running his finger over the emeralds.

"For my birthday, I don't know who from." Raid replied.

"Hmm." Draco said, sitting down not letting go of her hand.

He tried to pull the ring off but it wouldn't budge, so he pulled harder.

"Ouch!" Raid said, glaring at him.

"Sorry." He mumbled. "Please can I look at your ring?"

Raid slid the ring off easily and with a smug smile, handed it to Draco. It was his turn to glare.

He examined the ring thoroughly, until he came to the inside of the band when he stopped and started trying to read something.

"What?" Raid asked.

"There," he said quietly. "There's writing here."

He handed the ring to Raid.

"Where?" She asked, looking at the ring closely. "What does it say?"

"It says." Draco began, but stopped.

"Well go on." Raid prompted.

"It says, 'The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Toujours pur'" He said quietly.

"Oh." Was all Raid could say. She looked mildly shocked.

"Which means.." Draco began.

"Which means that this ring was sent to me by my mother." Raid finished. "Oh dear."

* * *

"Your mother!" Hermione said in shock. "But, but she's in Azkaban. How could she send it you?"

"I don't know." Raid said slowly. She gently twisted the ring round her finger as she thought. The two girls were sitting on Hermione's bed with the curtains shut and the silencing spells in place.

"Perhaps. Perhaps you should take it to Dumbledore." Hermione suggested carefully. Remembering all too well the last time she had done something like that, without asking about it.

"Hmm. Maybe" Raid said thoughtfully. "I'm going to go to bed. See you in the morning."

"Ok, goodnight. Think about talking to Dumbledore though."

"Mmm." Raid said absently.

* * *

"Fine! Ron, I'll come. Happy?" Hermione snapped.

Hermione stormed over to Raid who was waiting patiently with the rest of the class for their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson with Hagrid, who had recently returned for his secret trip.

"What was that about?" Raid asked.

"Umm, well err." Hermione looked shifty. "You aren't supposed to know really."

"Oh." Raid looked disappointed. "Well, tell me anyway."

Hermione glanced around to see if Harry or Ron were near her.

"It's about Dumbledore's army, our kind of secret group for practicing Defence against the Dark Arts." Hermione whispered.

"Oh, that. I knew about that." Raid said.

"You did? How?" Hermione asked surprised.

Raid suddenly looked like she had given something away that she shouldn't have. She absently played with the ring on her right hand. She still hadn't gone to Dumbledore about it.

"Well, umm. I overheard someone saying something about it." She said quickly.

Hermione wasn't quite convinced that was the truth but didn't press the matter.

"It sounds interesting, do you think I would cause uproar if I came?" Raid asked absently, looking at the clouded sky.

"Probably, but I don't see why you shouldn't," Hermione said. "Come along tonight and see."

At that moment Hagrid appeared and beckoned them in to the Forbidden Forest. The Slytherins started mumbling their disapprovals and Pansy, out of habit started to hang off Draco's arm. Raid saw Draco trying to shake her off. He glanced up at her and she could see he wanted her to help him. She waved and smiled sweetly. Then turned back to the front of the class, who had now stopped at a clearing. They looked around curiously as Hagrid put a huge chunk of meat on the floor.

"T'day we're gona be lookin' at Thestrals." Hagrid said.

"Well where are they?" Draco drawled from the back.

Raid rolled her eyes, Draco could be so obnoxious at times. She saw Harry glare back at Draco.

"Don worry, not all of yer will be able to see em. Does anyone know why?" Hagrid asked.

Hermione hand was instantly in the air.

"You can only see them if you have seem death." She said, without prompting.

"Very good Hermione." Hagrid said.

As he said this there was a shriek from Parvati. A bit of the meat had detached itself and was disappearing itself as well.

"See, there yer are. Hogwarts got a whole herd of tame ones." Hagrid said proudly.

"Wonderful, an animal we can't even see. What's the point? When my father hears about this there'll be some changes made." Draco said lazily.

"Malfoy shut up!" Harry snapped at him.

Hagrid was looking quite put out and Raid felt sorry for him.

"Why shouldn't we learn about them? They are after all, magical creatures Draco." Raid asked Draco.

Draco looked shocked at his girlfriend questioning him. He didn't say anything.

"What's this Malfoy? Speechless?" Harry taunted. "Can't face up to your lying little girlfriend?"

"That's enough Potter!" Raid and Draco both said together.

"Ok, umm well. Anyway." Hagrid interrupted. "Who can see the Thestrals?"

"I can." Harry said.

There were no more disruptions that lesson. Raid moved back to hold hands with Draco. She could tell he was annoyed with her but she figured he would get over it.

* * *

As Hermione and Raid entered the room of requirement everyone fell silent as they saw Raid. Harry didn't see her straight away as he was talking to Ron, but the silence made him turn to look at who had come in. He gave Hermione a small smile, but when his eyes fell on Raid he scowled.

"What is she doing here?" He asked Hermione accusingly.

"I, umm invited her." Hermione said.

"Well she's not staying!" Harry snapped. He glared at Raid.

"Harry, if she wants to learn some practical defence against the dark arts, here is the only place she can." Hermione reasoned with Harry.

The rest of the class stood staring at this argument, only Ron and Ginny knew the reason behind Harry's angry outburst. They were looking from Raid to Hermione to Harry, not understanding this argument.

"Well I'm sure she knows enough about the 'dark arts'," Harry said nastily.

"Hey, you know fuck all about me, so why don't you shut the hell up." Raid snapped angrily.

With that she turned to Hermione, "This was a bad idea," Then glancing at Harry. "I didn't come here to be accused of being a dark witch." She said pointedly.

And she stormed out of the room.

Walking quickly down the corridor, she soon realised she was being follow.

"Wonder boy being an ass?" Draco's drawling voice said.

Raid turned around.

"Something like that." She smiled at Draco. "Sorry about earlier in class, I just felt sorry for Hagrid."

Draco shrugged. "Don't worry about it." He said, putting an arm around Raid's waist. "I just can't stand that stupid half breed."

Raid looked at him curiously.

"You know," She said. "Voldemort is actually a half breed…" She quickly looked at the floor.

Draco tensed.

"What point are you trying to make?" His voice was harsh.

"Nothing." Raid said quickly, not really wanting to get in to a debate about Voldemort at that moment. " Anyway, I wouldn't have minded going to that club thingy, I don't get much chance to practice defence against the dark arts."

She felt Draco relax as she changed the topic.

"Well I'm sure we could just practice on our own." He suggested.

Suddenly Raid felt she had to ask about a darker topic.

"Draco, the dark arts, do you…?" She began, but stopped, mid question. Draco had stopped walking. She turned to face him.

"Yes. I do." He stated.

"Oh." Raid said quietly.

"But I want you to know, I would never, ever do anything to hurt you." He said to Raid, who was staring at the floor. He lifted her chin so he could look directly in to her eyes, her black pupils barely discernable form her irises. "I promise. I know its horrendously cliché." He finished, his last statement making Raid smile. "But, it's true."

"One day Draco. I want you to tell me everything." Raid said.

"One day." Draco agreed. "Anyway. I think I know of a broom cupboard that we could practice 'defence against the dark arts'." Draco said cheekily.

"Oh is there now, and what 'defence' would that be?" Raid asked, trying to look innocent.

"Let me show you." Draco whispered, as he leaned in to kiss her.

* * *

The week before the Christmas holidays Raid woke up to find that Hermione was already up and had not woken her. Quickly pulling on her robes and making her hair striped with black and white, she began to leave the dormitory, but stopped as she heard a tapping on the window. She let the owl in and undid the parchment from its leg. Instantly the large brown owl flew off. Raid quickly read the letter, her eyes widening in shock as she did so. Finishing reading it she concluded that this was why Hermione was not in bed. Tapping her truck with her wand she pulled out a magically locked box, opening it with her wand she place the letter on top of many others inside. Locking the box again, she hid it away and went looking for Hermione.

She found her sitting in the common room. It was one of the 'ungodly' hours in the morning as Hermione described them, and Hermione looked like she had been up awhile. There were small circles under her slightly puffy eyes, she looked like she had been crying.

"Hermione, are you ok?" Raid asked gently. She sat down on to the couch next to her.

"Yes I'm fine." Hermione said very quietly.

"You're quite obviously not." Raid said.

"Well, no, I'm not fine, exactly." Hermione conceded, looking like she was about to cry again.

"What's happened?" Raid asked. Knowing full well that Mr Weasley had been attacked and was currently in St.Mungo's, the letter had told her the whole situation.

"It's, well its Ron's dad." Hermione said. "He's been.. He's ill and he's had to go to St. Mungo's. Ron, Harry and all the Weasley's have gone."

"Ooh." Raid said, doing her best to look surprised. "I'm sure he'll be ok. St.Mungo's is the best."

"Hopefully." Hermione said quietly.

"Try not to worry." Raid soothed, putting her arm round Hermione. "You'll be able to go and visit him I'm sure. It's the Christmas holidays in a couple of days."

Hermione was too upset to wonder why Raid would assume that she would go and see Ron's father in hospital.

* * *

Bad ending to the chapter I know, I'm sorry. It's a bit too cryptic as well. But bear with me. All is revealed in the next chapter. Well some of it, maybe all, depends on how I feel. This chapter does ramble on a bit. But I needed to get to xmas. OOOOO there's a cool bit coming up. Really really cool. Well I think its good, you'll probably hate it. Anyway, review review.


	17. 12 Grimmauld Place

Can you believe that Busted got the record of the year over mcfly??? I mean really, Busted suck. Anyway back to the point, I'm still here, I've got another chapter for anyone who is still reading this lol. Here it is )

Ok I can't get get line separators on here so there are no sections this time.

**12 Grimmauld Place**

There was a soft knock on the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place. It was about 8.30 in the evening and the street outside was dark and cold. There was a soft clatter of hooves on the gravel. Mrs Weasley had gone to open the door and the Weasley children, Harry and Hermione had crept to the top of the stairs to see who it was. They saw a tall hooded figure enter as the door was opened. They couldn't hear the exchange between the two figures.

Mrs Weasley went quietly to answer the door of the house, once the door was opened she glanced past the visitor at the large shape behind them before turning to talk to them.

"You must be Eriador. Come in dear, come in. Sirius told us you would be arriving tonight." She whispered.

"Thank you Mrs Weasley. Can I bring Shadow through to the garden?" Raid replied quietly.

Mrs Weasley eyed the dark shape behind Raid as if doubting its ability to be quiet, but conceded, sighing.

"As long as you make sure he's quiet."

Raid grinned.

"I hear Mrs Black has been a bit of a handful." She said.

She led her horse in to the large hallway. He seemed slightly nervous about being inside, but stayed quiet. Via the concealment spell his horn was not visible but most of the house knew of the girl with the unicorn who was causing trouble at Hogwart's from Harry.

Raid threw back her hood to reveal her vivid purple hair. She left her cloak on and she and Mrs Weasley turned to go in to the kitchen. Suddenly, they heard a shout and heard feet thundering down the stairs.

"Raid!"

Something large hit Raid from the side. Shadow shied away violently. Turning as two arms squashed her in to a hug Raid looked in to the face of a man with long black hair.

"Sirius!" She shrieked and hugged him back just as tightly.

Mrs Black's portrait was now screaming and shouting as loudly as she could.

"Sirius!" Mrs Weasley scolded. "Look what you've done, couldn't you have waited until we were in the kitchen?"

"I'll see to her." Raid shouted over the din as she broke from the hug.

She ran up the stairs past the people who were trying to silence the other portraits and found Mrs Black in the centre of the hall wall.

"Good Evening Mrs Black!" She shouted.

The portrait went suddenly and very unusually, silent. It studied Raid for a moment.

"My Goodness." It whispered. "It's dear Bellatrix's daughter."

"It is." Raid answered.

The portraits face suddenly clouded with anger and madness.

"YOU'RE HERE TO HELP THEM AREN'T YOU! HELP THE FILTHY HALFBREEDS AND MUDBLOODS. YOU TREACHEROUS GIRL!" She shrieked.

Quickly Raid forced the curtains shut and the painting fell silent. She turned, grinning, to her audience.

"Hi guys." She said.

She hugged Hermione and Ginny and grinned at the twins. Then ignoring Harry and Ron who were still staring at her open mouthed as if she had just sprouted arms out of her head, she ran downstairs to calm her horse.

Shadow, was having fits of terror in the hallway. Mrs Weasley and Sirius couldn't get near him. Raid walked slowly up to the horse, hands outstretched and he recognised her and began to calm down. He stood still but was shaking and drenched in sweat. Gently Raid took his reins and Mrs Weasley quickly led her through the kitchen and out in to the gloomy garden that was to be Shadows home for the next few weeks. Once outside Shadow visibly relaxed. Once Raid had rid him of his saddle and bridle she gave him a final reassuring pat and headed back inside.

Once inside again, she heard a loud argument from a room next to the kitchen. It appeared to be between Harry and Sirius.

"…she doing here?" Was the accusing voice of Harry.

"She's my cousin Harry, well, kind of, but we are related." Sirius said pleadingly.

"But she'll betray the Order! She's going to be a dark witch! How do we know that she isn't working for Voldemort right now?" Harry shouted.

"Because she's been passing us information about that she's picked up from her foster parents about Voldemort's followers for a year! And because I trust her Harry, and so do the rest of the Order! You have no proof at all in those accusations!" Sirius snapped.

Raid rolled her eyes. She genuinely hoped that Harry would come round eventually. It wouldn't be a fun holiday if Harry was just being horrible to her the whole time. Helping herself to the thick casserole that was being kept warm for her on the stove, she accepted a warm bread roll from Mrs Weasley and sat down at the long table.

"Just ignore Harry, dear." she said uncomfortably. "I'm sure he doesn't mean what he's saying."

"Oh, he does." Raid sighed. "Never mind though, we'll work something out."

Harry came storming through the kitchen, he glared at Raid and slammed the door as he left. Sirius came out scowling as well, but he gave Raid a small smile as he sat down at the table with her.

"He'll come round Raid, he's gone on about how you're working for Voldemort since he's been here. I'm sure that know you're here he'll see that you're not." He said reassuringly.

Raid shrugged as she continued eating.

"Anyway." Sirius continued. "How was you're trip? You're a bit late, it's Christmas in four days."

"It was wet and cold." Raid laughed. "I had trouble hitching a lift through the Lake District. Delayed me a little."

"Well you're here now and everything's ready for Christmas." Sirius said happily.

"Yes about that. On Christmas Eve, I've been invited, umm… out. I would be back for Christmas day though." Raid said quickly, looking hard at her nearly empty plate.

"Out? Where?" Sirius asked.

"The Malfoy Manor. Draco invited me to the Christmas Ball." Raid said quietly.

Sirius exploded.

"WHAT?" He screamed. "Why, has Draco Malfoy invited, you, of all people to the Malfoy Christmas Ball?" He said dangerously.

"Because, umm, well, because he's kind of, well, he's my boyfriend." Raid stuttered.

The look in Sirius' eyes was very dangerous.

"You do realise that the whole place will be full of Death Eaters. And you do realise that your 'boyfriend' will probably become a Death Eater very soon." He shouted.

At that Raid snapped. She looked directly at Sirius.

"Yes Sirius I do realise that. And I do not wish to discuss Draco with you. But I will be expected to go now that he has invited me. And my foster parents are also going and they expect me to be there as well." She snapped, her voice raising as well.

"Well you can't go! I won't allow it. I will not have you consorting with Death Eaters!" Sirius bellowed.

"You can't tell me what to do Sirius! You aren't my dad for Merlin's sake!" Raid yelled standing up.

"Well I am telling you what to do. You're not going." Sirius yelled back as he too stood up.

Sirius was about four inches taller than Raid and glowered down at her, she didn't flinch from his glare.

"I am going to the ball Sirius" Raid said smoothly.

And with that she turned and stormed out of the back door, out in to the gloomy garden. The door slammed behind her and Sirius sat down heavily in his chair.

Another bad chapter ending Sorry it's short. I couldn't think of how to end it without going in to the next chapter. Anyway, Review review!! Please


	18. Christmas Part I

I'm updating! Isn't it weird. I know, I'm sorry, but I did have exams and stuff.

Anyway Hi Absh. Thank you very much for taking time to read my story. Firstly, my name is not Bubblysweetangel, my profile name is Eriador, and that is only because I like the name, I use it on accounts everywhere. Bubblysweetangel is the name that my friend, Sarah, uses when she reviews my fic. Secondly, I didn't particularly like Harry's character in the Order of the Phoenix, I thought that he shouldn't have been so stubborn and bitten everyone's heads off all the time. But that's just my opinion. So, yes, it appears I do have issues with Harry Potter. As a character only, I love the books in fact I've just finished reading the 5 books for about the hundredth time. Hope this explains a few things. You didn't say whether you liked the story or not, but I'm guessing you didn't from the capital letters about my issues with Harry Potter. Glad you read the story and reviewed though. Thanks.

Right now I have to find something to write in this chapter, hmm thinks

* * *

**Christmas Part 1**

Raid stormed out in to the garden slamming the door as hard as she could behind her. How dare he? She thought to herself. How dare he tell her what she could and couldn't do? He wasn't her father, and he definitely wasn't her mother. She stalked over to Shadow and despite he foul temper that seemed to resonate around her, her touch on Shadows neck was calm and gentle. He nudged her gently with his nose.

"I'm all right." Raid murmured.

Moments later the back door squeaked quietly as it was opened and then clicked quietly back in to place, a shocking contrast to the noise it has made just minutes earlier. Raid did not look to see who had come outside. Silence hovered over the garden for a few more minutes. Raid continued to gently stroke Shadow. Then the person began to speak.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you." It was Sirius.

Raid said nothing.

"It's just, we know that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater, and, well, frankly I'm worried for you." He said. "If you go to this ball, you'll be surrounded by them, if they, by any chance, knew that you were in contact with me, you could be in very real danger. Before you say it, I know you are quite capable of taking care of yourself, but these people wouldn't hesitate to kill you."

Raid turned around slowly and sighed.

"I know Sirius, don't you think that I'm not worried about that? But think of it, I'm supposed to have been raised by a very high class pure blood family, all for muggle baiting and stuff, woo lets get rid of the muggles and support Voldemort on the side, the whole shebang. If I don't go, it will look stranger." Raid said heavily.

"You do have a point I suppose." Sirius grudgingly agreed. "But just promise me you will be careful, don't leave the hall on your own or even with the little slime ball Malfoy if you can help it."

Raid bristled at his reference to her boyfriend.

"Draco isn't.." She began but Sirius cut her off.

"That bad?" He asked sarcastically. "Don't be naive Eriador, you know as well as I do that, that boys fate of becoming a Death Eater as soon as he is of age was sealed as soon as he was born."

Raid looked uncomfortably at the floor.

"I know." She whispered. "I just wish, I just wish it wasn't."

"So do a lot of other people, it would be one less recruit for Voldemort." Sirius said.

"It's not that." Raid said shakily.

Sirius looked uncomfortable. Walking over to Raid he hugged her.

"Let's just hope that for your sake and everyone else's that we're wrong about Malfoy. Now listen, there's something else I need to tell you since you're going to this ball. The order have only recently found this out, but the whole of the upper class pureblood's who support Voldemort know, it was a scandal, it might be useful for you."

"What? Ooo a scandal!" Raid asked curiously.

"It's not funny Raid. You, especially you, have to be very careful around Narcissa Malfoy. Try not to get talked in to going anywhere with her."

"Why?"

"Because, Narcissa Malfoy used to be Narcissa Black. But if you notice, all the Blacks have jet black hair, myself, Bellatrix etc etc. Narcissa has.."

Raids eyes widened.

"Narcissa has blond hair." She whispered. "But that must mean…"

"Narcissa is not a true Black. Not a Black at all in fact. She was adopted."

"What?" Raid asked incredulously. "But, where is she from then?"

"This is what we found out recently, it's been heavily covered up. Narcissa Black, had muggle parents."

"You have to be joking. The Malfoy's are always going on about how pureblood they are." Raid said.

"Exactly. But only a small circle of people know about it, none of your generation. If anyone found out, well, you know what Lucius is like. Why do you think he's making donations all the time? "

"But, how did Narcissa's parents, I mean adoptive parents, get Lucius to marry her? More to the point, why did the Black's adopt her?"

"Why did they adopt her? We don't know, maybe there was an ulterior motive or something. But Lucius was given a very handsome dowry. They wanted to get her married in to a prominent pureblood family. We're still investigating." Sirius shrugged.

"But why do I have to stay away from her?" Raid asked.

"This is going to sound weird. You may already know. I'm not sure what you know about your mother. Narcissa, was your mothers adopted sister." Sirius winced, waiting for Raid's reaction.

"Oh." Raid squeaked. "Why wasn't I told?"

"I imagine it wasn't thought necessary. Narcissa was always kept in the background, no-one knew anything about her until she married Lucius. She hated your mother. And that's why she'll probably hate you. Be careful." Sirius said carefully.

Raid stood quietly for a few moments.

"Look, it's late, why don't you get some sleep? Its Christmas Eve tomorrow, just remember what I've said." He gave he one last hug and began to make his way inside. Raid called out.

"Why hasn't Voldemort killed her? He hates muggle born people, doesn't he?"

"We don't know Raid, that's why we think there's something weird going on."

"Does Draco know?" She asked quietly.

"What do you think?" Sirius asked.

"It would destroy him." She whispered.

* * *

Her jet black hair cascaded to mid way down her back, tiny stars glinted in it. A shimmering dress of sliver hung gently around her figure and draped to the floor, contrasting with her dark locks and midnight eyes. A black wrap of velvet was pulled around her shoulders to shield from a little of the cold. On the middle finger of her left hand was a slim silver ring with dazzlingly green emeralds and at her throat hung a small star shaped pendant with a reflective black stone in the middle. She walked slowly up the steps to the dramatic entrance to Malfoy Manor looking slightly awed. As Lucius watched from the open door, ready to greet this stunning girl, young woman really, he was glad his wife was not related to Bellatrix. This girl was a fitting consort for a Malfoy, as long as she followed the right ideology, but that could be arranged. 

Raid extended a hand to shake hands with the tall blond man at the entrance to the Manor, who could only be Draco's father.

"Merry Christmas Mr Malfoy." She said smiling.

Lucius smiled and raised her hand to his lips. Releasing her hand he spoke.

"And to you Miss Minorita. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Draco talks about you none stop." Lucius said silkily. "Please, come in out of the cold. The elf will take your shawl."

As Eriador handed her wrap to a small and terrified looking house elf Draco came striding over and enveloped Raid in a hug.

"I missed you." he whispered.

Quickly letting go of her he turned to his father.

"I'll take Eriador through father."

Lucius nodded and turned back as he heard a spatter of gravel as other wizards arrived.

"So it's Eriador is it tonight Draconis? Or whatever your full name is." Raid said laughing.

"It's a formal evening my darling." Draco said in a falsely lavish voice.

And he swung her round to face him. Raid looked up in to his stormy eyes smiling. Raid kissed him gently.

"I missed you too." She whispered. "Now darling, you're smudging my lipstick." She said in a voice that mirrored Draco's false voice only a moment ago. Grinning she pulled away from him.  
"You? You're wearing make up?" Draco asked.

"Umm, yeah. It is a formal evening. I have to look my best." Raid said grinning. "Tonight, I'm being a 'lady'."

"Ooo, a lady? Well then I shall have to be a gentleman." Said Draco, also grinning.

He offered his arm to Raid.

"M'lady?"

"Good Sir." Said Raid ask she took his arm, barely able to contain her laughter.

Arm in arm they walked in to the huge banqueting hall that had been arranged for a ball. There were instruments set up on a small raised platform at one end of the hall and a large and an extravagant buffet set out at the other end. The large space in the middle could only be a dance floor.

"Draco." Raid whispered. "I don't have to dance do I?"

"Of course you do, don't be silly." Draco said.

"But Draco. I can't dance." Raid said nervously.

Draco glanced at her and grinned at her nervous face.

"Don't worry, I'll show you what to do. Come on, lets go and meet my mother." He said still grinning. "By the way." He whispered. "You look amazing."

Raid grinned self consciously and looked at him.

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." She said winking.

Draco was wearing midnight black dress robes with a high collar, but because of his height they fitted perfectly and he look exceptionally handsome. Is hair was not slicked back, but had been left to itself. However, it had evidently been styled so it didn't just hang in a mop, but was kind of 'jagged around the edges', was the only way Raid could think of it. It suited him. They made their way over to a group of men and women, the men all in dress robes and the women in stunning dresses.

Draco introduced Raid to his mother. She was tall and foreboding, her blond hair pulled back tightly in to a French pleat at the back of her head. He eyes were cold as she surveyed Eriador. Raid saw a flash of deep hatred and resentment cross her features, but it was gone in an instant.

"Eriador. How lovely to meet you at last. Draco hasn't stopped talking about you since he got home." She said, pronouncing each syllable very carefully.

Raid smiled.

"Thank you Mrs Malfoy."

* * *

OK I figure I'll post this since I'm having trouble with this dance/ball thingy. Sorry it's only short, but i'll tryand write moreasexams are over and I have more time.I wasn't sure how to spring thisthing aboutNarcissa on you.Was it ok? Sorry if you hate it.If I think of a better way to do it then I'll change it. It isn't just a random thing, there is a purpose to Mrs Malfoy having muggle blood. You'll see. It'll work out. I hope. Review review! 


	19. Christmas Part II

**Ok I've had to re-submit this chapter as I found a rather large error in the original one. 100 brownie points to anyone who can guess what it was lol. **

**Anyway here you go. I don't like this chapter very much, but I couldn't think of anything to write. It's a bit muddled and lacking in content I think, but read it anyway. Please.**

* * *

**Christmas Part II**

Narcissa introduced her to the circle of men and women. It was clear from the curious looks and exchanged glances that some knew of her true parentage. It was a man introduced as Theodore Nott who broke the silence after her introduction. He stepped forward and took Eriador's hand.

"You are as stunning as your mother." He said, kissing her hand.

Raid was completely thrown by this complement, she though that no-one would mention her mother. However, she regained her composure quickly.

"Thank you Mr Nott." She said graciously.

A quick glance at Narcissa showed the depth of her hatred for Raid. Her eyes were glaring daggers at Raid.

* * *

The large hall was soon filled to capacity with glamorous visitors. There were many ministry officials present, including the Minister for magic himself. Raid scowled as her eyes came across Dolores Umbridge. Draco watched her curiously, and followed her line of sight to see who she was scowling at. 

"Oh she's not that bad really. She's nice to the Slytherins." He said grinning.

Raid stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh come on." He said laughing. "It's funny how she's always having a go at Potter."

Raid smiled at this. A shadow of concern flicked through her mind. She still had to make it up with Harry. He was a bit of an idiot, but she had to try at least.

"Well yeah, but she's still a bitch. At least I don't have to go to her lessons." Raid said smiling up at Draco.

"What? How come?" Draco asked.

Raid looked guilty.

"I had an argument with her the first lesson I had with her, she told me to never set foot in her class room again. Or something like that. So I haven't" She said grinning.

"You're unbelievable."

Raid just smiled. She spotted her foster parents across the hall talking to Lucius.

"Come on, come and meet my foster parents." She said, pulling Draco across the hall.

Raid's foster parents were in deep conversation with Lucius Malfoy when they walked over. Raid's foster mother, Lucile, was dressed in a deep scarlet ball gown, with her dark brown hair pulled back out of her face in a similar style to Draco's mother. Her foster father, Carlos, was dressed in dress robes of a midnight blue.

"Eriador, there you are. We've just been hearing about you relationship with Draco from his father." Lucile said, hugging Raid.

"Hi mum, dad." Raid said smiling.

"Where have you been this holiday?" Carlos asked, as he too hugged Raid.

"Oh, I've just been staying at a friends." She replied absently.

"We barely see Eriador in the holiday." Lucile said to Lucius. "She always out with her friends." She said disapprovingly.

"At least she has found herself a respectable boyfriend now, not like the friends she had at home." Carlos said reprovingly.

Raid looked distinctly uncomfortable, if Lucius Malfoy found out how close she was to muggles, things could become very uncomfortable for her.

"Anyway," she cut in. "I'll be back in the next few days, I'm just catching up with people, you know."

Lucius looked at her curiously.

"Where did you say you were staying?" He asked.

"Oh, just at a friends house." Raid said.

She wasn't directly lying, Sirius was a friend, and it was his house.

"I'm going to get a drink. Draco, you coming?" Raid said, trying to get away from her foster parents.

Draco simply nodded.

"See you later." Raid said to Carlos and Lucile.

Eyes followed Raid as she and Draco made their way over to the buffet tables to have some punch. Draco had not spoken since they had left his father.

"What's up?" Raid asked, as she poured herself a drink.

"Where have you been staying?" He asked quietly.

"I told you, at a friends." Raid said, looking at the ceiling.

"And where is that?" Draco asked.

"I let you have your secrets Draco, let me have mine." Raid replied carefully.

Draco sighed and slipped his arms around her waist.

"What a pair we make." He murmured in to her hair.

"Indeed." Raid sighed.

"So," Draco said more brightly. "What do you think of the house?"

"It's very big." Raid said matter of factly.

Draco laughed.

"Come on, we're going to dance." Draco said, as music started to play and couples made their way to the dance floor.

"Oh no, no, no, no." Raid said, pulling against him.

"Yes you are. I'm going to teach you." Draco said haughtily.

He dragged Raid to the dance floor and arranged her arms and feet.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Raid muttered.

"Stop moaning and do what I tell you." Draco said, laughing. "Just follow my lead, I'll go slow."

As Draco guided Raid around the dance in a slow waltz, stumbling occasionally as Raid trod on his feet, the chandeliers dimmed and more couples joined the floor. Raid could see Lucius and Narcissa and her foster parents waltzing quickly around the hall. She found that concentrating on dancing helped her to momentarily forget that she was in a room full of people who could have been Death Eaters, that Draco would soon be joining them, and also that Lucius Malfoy had been questioning her whereabouts during the holidays. She just focused on moving her body in time to the music and following Draco round the dance floor scowling at his suppressed smile playing at his mouth. In no time the music had stopped and partners were changing. Raid found herself face to face with Lucius Malfoy.

"May I have this dance, my dear?" He asked, bowing.

"Well, if you like, I can't dance though." Raid answered.

Draco moved off to dance with his mother and Raid looked longingly after him. Soon enough Lucius was whirling her about the dance floor, as she did all she could to keep her balance and not tread on his feet.

"You're mother is a wonderful woman." Lucius said quietly.

"She lovely isn't she." Replied Raid dryly, looking over at her foster mother. Who was dancing elegantly with Fudge.

"I'm talking about your real mother." Lucius said shortly, looking at Raid meaningfully.

"I never knew her." Raid said carefully.

"No, but she knows all about you. You're the spitting image of her you know." Lucius began idly.

Raid said nothing.

"You have a great name to live up to Eriador Lestrange, make sure do." Lucius said silkily, staring Raid in the eye.

The music finished once more and Lucius moved of in to the crowd. Raid decided that she had, had enough of dancing for the moment and made her way to the chairs at the edge of the room. Her mind was screaming at her to leave the mansion right now. Sirius was right, she shouldn't be here. If Lucius ever found out she was an ally of the Order of the Phoenix, he would kill her. And he had just told her that he hoped she would be like her mother. A sneer curled at Raid's lips at the thought of it. She never be like her mother. She jumped as a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Draco asked, looking down at her.

She smiled.

"I'm fine." She said brightly. "Just resting a minute."

Raid spent the evening staying away from anyone she thought would comment on who her mother was. She danced some more with Draco and found that it wasn't actually that hard, and began to enjoy it. The time went quickly and soon Raid began to watch the clock, wishing that time would slow down so she could spend more time with Draco. It was nearly twelve and Draco and Raid were back on the dance floor. The music washed around them as they danced gently in the crowd. Raid lost herself in the music and focused only on being with Draco. He had his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, she had her arms around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder. She wanted the dance to last forever. Draco's mouth brushed her ear.

"I love you." He whispered.

Raid both wanted to hear these words, and dreaded hearing them. She wanted him to love her, but was scared of what it would mean. He had taken a dark path, one she would not follow him down. In spite of this, she knew the depth of her feelings for him, she knew she loved him and would wait for him to turn from the path of darkness in to the light, if that ever happened.

"I love you too." She said, pulling back to look at his face.

Draco took her hand and led her from the dance floor and through a small door. The corridor afterward was dimly lit, Draco led her along it.

"Where are we going?" Raid asked curiously.

Raid nervously remember Sirius' warning of not going anywhere with Draco. She quickly quelled her nervousness, Draco wasn't going to do anything to hurt her, he'd just told her he loved her._ 'God you sound naïve'_ Raid thought.

Draco opened a door on the right to reveal a room bathed in moonlight. Raid walked in slowly and gazed out of the huge window. It reached from the floor to the high ceiling. Draco did not light any candles, the room was bright enough from the moonlight shining in. Raids dress glimmered in the light but her dark hair seemed to repel the dazzling light. Draco stood behind her as she looked out in to the extensive grounds of Malfoy Manor, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck gently. Raid stood for a moment, enjoying the feel of his lips on her neck, before twisting round to face him and putting her lips to his in a crushing kiss. Breaking apart, the intensity of the kiss had left them breathless, they stared in to each others eyes, they kissed once more as their hands travelled each others bodies. Draco broke the kiss this time. He looked in to Raid's eyes, questioning, as he held her tightly against him.

"Have you ever, umm, you know." He whispered, staring at her shoulder.

"Well, umm, no." Raid whispered, looking at the floor. "Have u?"

Draco nodded.

"What do you want?" He asked quietly.

"I want you." Raid said, looking up in to his eyes.

* * *

There you go, now review and tell me how bad it is lol. But don't be too nasty. 


	20. Christmas Part III

**Hey, here's another chapter. **

**Thanks to Kelly for that wonderful review. It was so kind, and great to have support. Thank you :D**

* * *

**Christmas Part III**

Raid woke to find a pair of arms locked around her. With shocking realisation, she realised she was completely naked. A blush crept to her cheeks as she turned to look at Draco, who she found was staring right back at her.

"Umm, hi." She said shyly.

"Hi," Draco replied smiling.

"What time is it?" Raid asked.

"A little after three."

Raid lay silent for a few moments.

"Raid, I need to talk to you." Draco said, his voice cutting through her thoughts.

"What about?" Raid asked. "You're not going to break up with me are you? 'Coz if you are, I'm going to be really pissed." She said grinning.

"No, of course I'm not silly." Draco said, kissing her.

He paused.

"Well go on then." Raid prompted. "Talk to me."

"It's my birthday at the beginning of February." Draco began. "I'm going to be sixteen."

Draco lapsed in to silence.

"Is that all you wanted to say?" Raid laughed. "Because I did know already."

"I'm going to be initiated." Draco said.

The smile vanished from Raid's face.

"Initiated?" She said slowly. "What do you mean?"

Draco was no longer looking at her. He was staring out over his room, to that large patch of moonlight from the huge window.

"I will be getting the mark on the 5th February." He said.

Raid said nothing for a moment, she was shocked, but had known it was coming.

"But, you're so young. I thought they didn't take people until they had left school."

She said, trying to find a flaw in his plan.

"My father has a lot of influence, I asked him to have me initiated. The Lord thinks it's a good idea." Draco said. He was still not looking at Raid.

"You idiot. You complete idiot." Raid said quietly.

"I'm an idiot for choosing a powerful side in this war?" Draco asked snidely.

"You're an idiot because you're going to get killed." Raid snapped, her temper rising.

"I will not be killed." Draco said naively.

"When the world believes Voldemort's back, the Auror's will hunt you down and you'll either be killed or thrown in prison." Raid shouted.

She looked around for her clothes, finding them next to the bed, she began to get dressed.

"Where are you going?" Draco snapped. Looking at Raid for the first time since his startling announcement.

"Away from you." Raid snapped.

"You're not going anywhere Eriador." Draco said, also getting out of bed.

"Try and stop me Draco." Raid said dangerously.

Draco made no move towards her. They stared at each other across the bed.

"Why can't you just accept it?" Draco asked.

"Accept that the guy I just admitting to loving is going to be initiated in to a group of psychopaths, led by a mad man, who like to go around torturing and killing people?" Raid shouted. "Sorry Draco, but that doesn't sound like something I want to accept."

"It's the right side to be on. The Lord will triumph this time." Draco said, his voice raising.

"He bloody well won't." Raid snapped.

"Draco, if you take the Mark. We're finished. I can not stand back watch as my boyfriend submits himself to a life of servitude and pain. If you can't understand this then you don't love me like you said you do."

"If you loved me, you would accept my decision." Draco snapped.

"I do love you! That's why I don't want you to get killed. Or go around hurting people." Raid shouted.

Raid's eyes were glistening. Tears were threatening to spill down her cheeks. She decided it was time to go, she would not cry in front of Draco.

"This is something I believe in Raid." Draco said quietly, as Raid turned to leave.

"If you actually believe in that crap that Voldemort talks about, then you're not the person I thought you were." Raid said quietly. "Goodbye Draco."

Raid walked quickly out of the mansion, leaving Draco standing in his darkened room. He moved to the shadow of the window, avoiding the glaring moonlight. He saw Raid stride out in to grounds, the moonlight glinting of her dress. In a moment she was gone, as if she had never been there, standing in the light.

* * *

When Raid got back to Grimmauld place, she was close to breaking. No-body was up when she walked in to the kitchen. 'Good' she thought. Her mixture of emotions was wreaking havoc on her body, her brow glistened with sweat and she was shaking. Seeing a vase, sitting on a sideboard, she picked it up a hurled it with all her strength at the wall. It smashed with a satisfying crash. There was a sound of feet on the stairs and two heads poked through the door.

"Raid, what..?" Ron began.

"GET OUT" Raid screamed. And threw an innocent mug at the door.

Ron and Harry quickly shut the door. Looking at one another, they said together,

"Sirius."

And they ran as fast as they could to wake him.

Sirius came charged down the stairs when he heard Raid was destroying the kitchen. Mrs Weasley put her head out of her door.

"Sirius, what's going on?" She asked looking dazed and confused.

"I'm not sure." He yelled, as he continued running.

"Don't go in the kitchen." Harry yelled at her.

Mrs Black started to scream. Mrs Weasley ran out to calm her, looking exasperated.

Sirius stood by the kitchen door listening. Nothing was being thrown anymore. He couldn't hear anything. Opening the door slowly he peaked his head round.

"Raid?" He called.

He spotted her at the end of the room in one of the arm chairs. He head was in her hands and her glossy hair was falling past her face, covering her eyes.

"Raid what happened?" Sirius asked, concerned.

He ran over to her, grabbing a chair to sit on. He placed it in front of her and took her hands in his.

"What happened Raid." He repeated. "Did Malfoy try something. I swear if he did. Either one."

"No, no they didn't." Raid whispered.

She paused.

"What happened then?" Sirius pressed.

"I, I ended it with Draco."

Finally, the tears that had been threatening to spill began to pour down her face.

"He's going to get the Mark in February." She whispered.

Sirius sat back.

"Raid, I'm sorry." He said. "But.."

Raid cut him off.

"Yes, I know, I should have and did see it coming. I just didn't want it to."

Sirius pulled her in to a hug.

"You've done the right thing, even thought it hurts." He sympathised.

"I don't need you to tell me that." Raid snapped.

Sirius just sighed.

"You should get to bed. It's very late and your upset. Things might seem better in the morning." He reasoned

Raid just nodded and walked past him. She passed Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Weasley's without even glancing at them. In her room, Raid undressed and threw her dress in a corner. Throwing her self down on the bed she began to cry again. Despite her aching tiredness, she did not sleep all night. She could not banish thoughts of Draco from her mind. In her mind, she saw him falling off her skateboard, she felt him kissing her by the lake, she felt him guiding him round the dance floor, she remembered his body close to hers and how he had not looked at her when he had told her he was getting the Mark.


	21. Christmas Part IV

**I love reviews :D woo and yay! There's not much left to this story now, only a couple of chapters I'm thinking, if I can get myself in gear. I'm going to try and finish it and write my other stories, check them out, Maybe isn't finished and I'm trying to figure out where to go with it and Collision has only just started but in think its going to be interesting. **

**Thanks for the review Ciara512 :D**

**Anyway, here goes. You can stop running in circles now Kelly :P**

* * *

**Christmas IV**

Raid found that she had actually slept, if only for a few hours. She discovered that the bitter pain of betrayal had been replaced by burning anger.

"Bastard." Raid muttered.

How could he have done that to her? Told her he loved her, been so gentle, so kind, and then tell her he was going to become a mindless killer. More to the point, how could she have been so naïve? Raid gave a short cold laugh. _'You silly, young girl'_ she thought to herself.

Hearing talking and laughter floating up the corridors from downstairs Raid looked at the clock, it said 9.30am. Obviously she hadn't slept long. She didn't feel tired though, just pissed off, it gave her an adrenaline rush she had never felt. She would show Draco, she decided, she wouldn't let him see how much had hurt her, how much she had cried. Plastering a smile on her tired face, Raid quickly used her magic to make the black rings around her eyes disappear. Today, she had her hair shocking blond in ringlets cascading down her back. Pulling on some jeans and a black vest she walked down to the kitchen carrying a few presents. As she opened the door, the room fell silent, the Weasley children were all sitting round the table with Sirius, Harry, Hermione and Mrs Weasley.

"Hi everyone." Raid said quietly, dropping her eyes to the floor.

Mrs Weasley was the first to move.

"Merry Christmas Eriador. How are you feeling? Do you want some breakfast? You must be starving." She said guiding Raid over to the table.

"Breakfast would be wonderful," Raid said gratefully.

She sat down at the table and tried to avoid everyone's eyes, all of which were staring right at her. She was quite sure that everyone in the house had heard or heard about her antics in the kitchen in the early hours of the morning. She sighed, _'might as well get it over_ _with'_ she thought.

"I'm sorry about last night guys." She said quietly, not looking up form the table. "I've broken up with Draco if any of you are wondering why I was in a strop."

Ron looked curious, but a sharp dig in the rib from Hermione stopped him from saying anything. Mrs Weasley put a plate piled with bacon, sausages and mushrooms in front of Raid who promptly began to devour them. The chatter around the table began once more and Hermione quietly slipped in to a chair next to Raid.

"So how did the ball go? With the exception of breaking up with Malfoy?" Hermione asked quietly.

Raid gave her a small smile, then looked across at the table. Ron and Harry appeared to be having a stunted conversation about Quidditch, but Raid could see they were waiting to listen to what she had to say.

"I'll tell you later." Raid muttered.

Hermione nodded.

"So what did you have for Christmas?" Raid asked.

Hermione began to reel off a list of books she had got and which books she intended to buy with the money she had received.

* * *

Late afternoon, after Hermione had got back from visiting Mr Weasley and a huge Christmas dinner, Raid and Hermione went for a walk. They found a small and deserted children's park nearby and sat on the two swings that weren't damaged. Even though it was only the afternoon there was still a glistening frost covering the grass and the sky was dimming. Raid told Hermione about Malfoy Manor, the dancing, the stares and Mr Malfoy's advice.

"He wants you to be like your mother? And he told you?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Mmhmm."

"But, surely that's taking a risk, he doesn't know who's side your on!" Hermione said.

"Well, I suppose he thinks I haven't chosen a side yet. We're not exactly at war yet." Raid reasoned. "He seemed very interested in where I was staying though."

"That's interesting yes. I hope doesn't guess you know anything about the Order." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, well it's not like I'm likely to see him aging really is it?" Raid muttered. "I mean, I'm not going to be going to Malfoy Manor again. Unless I'm kidnapped or something." She said gloomily.

"What happened between you and Draco then?" Hermione said gently.

Raid was silent for a moment.

"God he's such a wanker." She burst out. "I mean, he couldn't have told me before we.." She stopped, looking guilty and like she had disclosed something she hadn't wanted to. "Umm, damn." She said.

"You slept with him didn't you?" Hermione squeaked.

"Well anything sounds bad when you say it with that attitude." Raid said smirking.

Hermione rolled her eyes, regaining her sense of composure.

"So, what should he have told you before you, you know?" She pressed.

Raid sighed and leant her head against the cold metal chains of the swing, rocking on her heels gently.

"He's getting the Mark on his birthday, beginning of February." She said bitterly.

"Oh." Hermione said. "Oh dear."

The two girls sat in silence for a while, looking at the darkening sky, the horizon was orange tinged with black, dark shapes of clouds were moving sluggishly to cover the sky.

"You know." Raid said. "I expected it all along. I knew he would follow Voldemort. I didn't want to believe it. I thought that maybe, maybe there was some good in him. But there's not. Do you know what he said? He said that he believed in it, the cause, and that if I loved him then I would accept it."

"Do you love him?" Hermione asked.

"I did." Raid said coldly. "I don't know what I feel now."

Hermione reached over a squeezed Raid's dangling hand. Raid smiled at her.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. It's just a guy, I'll get over him." She said unconvincingly.

"Come on, it's getting dark. Lets go back to the house. I think Fred and George have some fireworks." Hermione said gently.

Raid just smiled, but more strongly this time.

"I wonder if there's any spells for turning ex-boyfriends in to ferrets from afar?" She said absentmindedly.

Hermione grinned.

"You know, we should ask Moody. There was this time last year when he turned Malfoy in to a ferret and bounced him round the dungeons. Ask Ron, he loves telling that story." Hermione laughed.

"You know, I think I will." Raid said, also laughing.

"Although," Hermione added. "It wasn't actually Moody, he was locked in a truck."

"Ok, you're so going to have to tell me the whole story." Raid said, looking confused.

* * *

Harry decided that he needed to talk to Raid. Their feud had gone on long enough he felt, and now she had finished with Malfoy, he figured that perhaps she wasn't that bad. However, he was finding that actually apologising for how he had acted was fairly difficult. It was the day after Boxing Day when Harry decided that it was time to talk to her. He stood outside of Raid's bedroom door for at least five minutes before working up the courage to knock. There was no answer even though he knew she was in there. There was no mistake, he could hear the thump of the bass from her loud rock music pumping out of some form of stereo in her room. He had no idea what she was doing. He waited another few minutes in the dim corridor with its sleeping pictures before he decided to go in.

It took Raid a good few minutes to realise she was being watched. She was dancing exuberantly round her room listening to angry girl music, any marginally slow or sad and emo songs were swiftly skipped. She had just jumped off her bed playing air guitar wildly when she saw Harry leaning against her door frame with a bemused smirk on his face.

"Oh." She said.

She pushed her loose black hair out of her eyes, turned off her music and turned to Harry.

"Umm, Hi. Can I help you?" She asked warily.

Harry snapped out of his smirk and shut the door.

"I thought that we should have a talk." He said quickly.

"What about?" Raid asked, sitting down on her bed.

"I think it's time we stopped umm, not liking each other." Harry said sheepishly.

"Oh." Raid said, surprised Harry was calling a truce.

"I'm err, sorry about what I said about you. I think I was wrong." He said quietly. "Sirius told me why you broke up with Malfoy."

"Did he now?" Raid said icily.

"He said I needed to know, as I was going to be around him at school." Harry said quickly.

"Hmm." Was Raid's reply.

"Anyway, it umm, proved to me that you weren't on their side. And I think we should be friends." Harry said, staring at the floor.

Raid rolled her eyes, boys and emotion and apologising just didn't mix.

She sighed.

"I've been thinking we should make up for a while." She conceded. "But anyway, I accept your apology."

Harry looked up for the first time, he saw Raid was smiling.

"You hungry?" He asked. "It's past lunchtime, I think you missed it with all your prancing around." He said cheekily.

"Shut up you." Raid said. "But yeah I'm starving."

They crept down the stairs past the snoozing portraits and in to the kitchen. The rest of the household were tackling a particularly vicious jewellery case in the master bedroom so the kitchen was empty. The two teenagers rummaged in drawers and cupboards to make sandwiches. When they had made sufficiently large baguette sandwiches, filled with cheese, leftover turkey from Christmas Dinner, mushrooms and bacon, they settled themselves in the armchairs in the corner of the kitchen.

"So." Harry said. " Do you like Quidditch?"

Raid rolled her eyes and smiled.

* * *

There ya go guys, now review :D pretty please 


	22. Back to school

I'm updating, shhhh! My mother is not to know. I'm supposed to be revising the Russian dictatorship. But I'm so damned bored! I've been going mad. I have done work, honestly. I swear. Anyway. Thank you for the reviews, I love reviews. Interesting idea that Raid and Harry would get together, not sure if it will happen though. I just found that this story is on a C2 community, sooo didn't know anything about that heh. Oh well. I'm going to write now. This story is nearly finished. I guess there would be room for a sequel but I'm not sure what I would write about. I'll explain at the end of the story. Don't want to give anything away. Anyway. Thank you for putting up with me. I do intend to keep writing my other stories, eventually.

Back to school 

Draco watched Raid stroll easily in the Great Hall for breakfast the first morning back at Hogwart's and scowled. He had assumed that she would come back to him over the holiday's. He had never been dumped by a girl. Never. And now, here she was, smiling and chatting to Harry Potter. It made his stomach curl. He got up and stormed out of the Hall.

Raid smirked as she entered the Great Hall and saw Draco scowling. She laughed out loud when she saw Draco storm out. Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes, Ron was oblivious.

"So, do you guys want to come and see Shadow after classes today?" Raid asked, as she filled a bowl with cereal.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all agreed eagerly. They had become quite attached to the Unicorn during their stay at Grimmauld Place.

"You know Raid, what are you going to do about Potions?" Hermione asked.

"What about Potions?" Raid asked absently, she was staring at the bewitched ceiling. Grey, and brown cloud washed over the ceiling heralding snow.

"You know what I mean." Hermione said sternly. "About Malfoy."

"Oh, that." She shrugged. "Ignore him I guess."

"We could sort him out for you." Ron said eagerly, looking for a chance to get in to a fight with his enemy.

Raid sighed.

"No, it's ok. I can handle him. If he wants to go off and do stupid things then he's going to have to accept that I'm not going to be there with him."

Raid stared very hard at her barely touched cereal, fighting back the tears. She hadn't given in to her tears since Christmas, it was hard now she could actually see Draco.

"Come on," Hermione said, breaking Raid's train of thought. "It's time for History of magic."

The four of them traipsed off to the history classroom, prepared for another dull lesson. Harry and Ron sat and played hangman, whilst Hermione took detailed notes. Raid sat next to the window. She took a few notes, but quickly lost interest and gazed out on the snowy grounds. Snow had begun to fall, providing another layer for the already blanketed mountains. It didn't look like they would be able to go and see Shadow after all. Raid didn't like leaving him on his own for so long, he was still only a baby really, in Unicorn years, and the attack on him had worried her. Since the attack she had still gone to see her Unicorn every morning, but she was now terrified of spiders. Raid took great care in where she went in the forest, looking out for signs of the huge arachnids. She visibly shuddered when she thought of those huge legs wrapped around her and the fangs sinking in to her shoulder. Raising her hand she rubbed the healed bite marks. A memory, unbidden, entered her mind. _Shadow was galloping as fast as he could towards the light at the end of the trees, even in her half conscious state she could feel his strength beginning to fail. The spiders were gaining, she could hear them, their scurrying feet among the leaves, the gentle thuds as the jumped from branch to branch. Suddenly, they were in the lights, the spiders would not leave the forest and all that was left was a loud rustle and clicking of predators cheated of their prey. Loosing her grip on the world, Raid fell from Shadow's unsaddled back and felt herself caught in strong arms. Barely able to breathe, let alone open her eyes, her vision flicked and waned, Draco's blue eye's were full of concern, staring down at her._

A voice brought her suddenly out of the memory.

"Miss Minorita, could you answer the question?" Professor Binns asked angrily. It seemed he had been trying to get her attention for a while.

"What, uh, what was the question?" Raid asked quickly.

Professor Binns sighed.

"When did the goblin rebellion of 1567 end and why?"

"Oh," Raid said, looking relieved. "December 1567, Christmas, because the goblin leader was sent a present that contained a poison that absorbed itself in to his hands and made his skin fall off"

Professor Binns looked stuck for words.

"Ah, well. Very good." He was silent for a minute, but then carried on in his usual drone.

"Do you know Raid," Ron said as they walked out of the History classroom. "I really do hate you."

Raid laughed.

"I'm hurt Ron, what could I have done to deserve this?" Raid said, pretending to be offended.

"I would never have been able to answer one of Binns' questions after being as far away as you looked in that class." Ron whined.

Raid laughed.

"Goblin rebellions are a bit of a passion of mine." Raid explained, as the walked in to the Potions classroom.

Raid walked to her seat, Draco had not arrived yet. She sat down and twirled a blond curl round her finger. The class, as usual, was silent. Waiting for Snape to start the lesson, he was sitting at his desk writing. When he started the lesson Draco was still not present.

"This is a theory lesson today," he said smoothly. "I want you to take notes on how to make an invisibility potion that we will be making next lesson."

Books were opened and Neville quite visibly relaxed as he would not be required to make anything this lesson. Ten minutes in to the lesson the door swung open and Draco strolled in. Snape glanced up from his desk.

"Ten minutes late Mr Malfoy, don't let it happen again."

Draco smirked and slid in to his seat next to Raid. Harry, Hermione and Ron exchanged scowls at Snape's leniency towards his favourite student.

Draco glanced at Raid who was writing but had not opened her text book. After ten minutes the atmosphere had not improved between them. Raid was sitting as far away from Draco as the desk would permit and had not looked up once.

"You can't ignore me forever." Draco hissed.

"Yes I can." Raid murmured.

"Why can't you accept my decision?" He asked angrily.

"I have accepted your decision Draco." Raid whispered icily. "That's why we're not together anymore, remember?"

Draco was silent for a moment.

"At least I've chosen a side." He said snidely. "And my side will win this time, I don't remember you pledging any allegiances."

"It's not a Quidditch game Draco," Raid said patronisingly.

"You know, hanging around with Pothead isn't a very good idea, you'll fall in with the wrong sort." Draco said nastily.

Raid turned and looked Draco right in the eyes.

"Firstly, I think your definition of the 'wrong sort' and mine differ somewhat Draco, secondly, I can hang around with whomever I like, and thirdly, it's none of your business any more." Raid whispered. Looking up she said. "Professor, I've finished. Can I go please?"

Snape looked up, shocked.

"Finished?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Are you sure?" Snape asked icily.

"I have written the origins, the inventor, the ingredients, the process of making, the effects and what can go wrong with the invisibility potion in question." Raid said calmly.

Snape looked lost for words, again. Both times Raid's fault.

"Give it to me, and leave." Snape snapped.

With that, Raid picked up her bags and with a whirl of her robes and blond curls, was gone.

Dumping her stuff in the dormitory Raid took off her robes and decided to go for a skate to clear her head. As she rocketed down the fifth floor corridor she saw a large, round, ugly, flowery, thing, blocking her way.

"Here we go." Raid muttered.

"Young lady, why are you not in lessons?" Umbridge snapped, watching Raid approach at high speed.

Just in time, Raid stopped.

"I was excused early from class as I completed all the work."

"And whose class was this?" Umbridge asked accusingly.

"Professor Snape's," Raid said simply, looking bored.

Umbridge scribbled something down on her clip board.

"Well young lady, I don't think this is appropriate behaviour for the corridor. It could be very dangerous."

Raid said nothing, but continued to look bored.

"Young lady! Are you even listening to me?" Umbridge snapped.

"Yes, appropriate behaviour for the corridor, could be dangerous." Raid said in monotone.

Umbridge turned purple.

"Right! Detention. You will come to my office this evening at 8 o'clock." She spluttered.

"Can I go now?" Raid asked.

She didn't wait for an answer but pelted off down the corridor at full speed. Of course, she wouldn't be going to Umbridge's office at 8 o'clock that evening. She had better things to do. Like sit in the common room.

"You could get in lots of trouble if you don't go to that detention." Hermione scolded Raid over dinner.

"Oh well." Raid said laughing.

Hermione just shook her head.

"I've got to go and get a book from the library. I'll meet you in the common room." Hermione said as the left the Great Hall.

Raid wandered towards Gryfindor tower. Suddenly she was grabbed and pulled in to a classroom. Regaining her balance, she waited until her eyes had adjusted to the darkness before looking around. She saw Draco blocking her way out of the classroom.

"Are we practicing being a scary Deatheater who abducts people and tortures them for fun already?" Raid asked sarcastically. "'Coz to be honest Draco, I'm not really scared of you. Sorry to disappoint."

Draco walked towards her slowly.

"I promised you I would never hurt you." He said quietly.

Raid could see sincerity in his eyes. She looked away.

"I wasn't lying when I said I loved you either." Draco continued.

"Neither was I." Raid whispered. "But if you become a Deatheater I don't know how I could love you."

Draco was now standing right in front of Raid. So close she could feel his breath on her face.

"How can you not understand? I'll have so much power. Think of what I could do."

"That power comes from evil Draco. You only have that power through hurting and murdering. Is that what you want?" Raid asked.

"Death is a necessary part of war." Draco snarled.

"And raping, murdering and torturing? They are all part of war are they?" Raid snapped back, her temper rising.

"It won't be like that." Draco said.

Raid laughed cynically.

"Don't be so naive Draco. Haven't you heard the stories of what Deatheaters do? It's not all parties and dancing."

"I know that." Draco said more gently. "I don't want you to join me, but I want you to be a part of my life."  
"Draco." She sighed. "If you choose a life as a Deatheater, then I can not be in your life." Raid looked deep in to Draco's eyes. "You don't have to do this, I know that there's good in you."

"There is no good, or evil." Draco said. "Only power, and those too weak to seek it."

"Spoken like a true Deatheater." Raid whispered, and looked away from him. "If you take that road Draco. I will not be on your side. I will fight against you. All the way."

Raid tried to move round him to get to the door.

"Oh no, you're not leaving this time." Draco said. "We're going to talk until we sort this out."

"I've warned you before Draco. Don't try and stop me." The anger that had subsided in her flared back up again. "Can't you see? We're not going to sort this out! You want to be a Deatheater! You want to torture and murder people! How can you even think that I would want you to do that? Now let me out!"

"No." Draco said stubbornly, moving back in front of the door.

Raid saw red, she would not be kept a prisoner. With a angry flick of her hand Draco flew away from the door and against a desk. Raid stormed out of the classroom, the door opening as she got to it, and slamming behind her. She ran all the way to the common room and up to the dormitory, ignoring the curious looks of her housemates. She threw herself down on her bed and drew the hangings. Only after that did she give in to her emotions. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she sobbed, and realised that Draco was lost to her.


	23. Breakout

Hello everybody. I'm supposed to be revising, again. The same thing actually. But I had an exam this afternoon and thought I would write instead of revise.

Answers to the lovely and most helpful reviews I got.

**Anita:** Oh my God, I don't care

I think I've seen worse

It's just a name, get over it

Please don't read anymore.

**Kill Mary Sue:** Thank you that was very constructive.

If you don't understand and would like to, read the reviews.

As I've said, this is nearly finished. Perhaps one more chapter after this one.

* * *

**Breakout**

Raid could feel the uneasy atmosphere in the Great Hall as soon as she walked in.

"What's going on?" She murmured to Hermione as she slid in to a seat next to her.

Hermione just handed her a paper. Ten sullen faces stared back at Raid. '_Mass breakout from Azakaban_' was the headline. Silently, Raid quickly scanned the faces until she came across the last moody picture. It was of a woman. Her face displayed features that had once been pretty, but had become warped with evil and years in Azakaban. Raid took in a deep breath and let it back out slowly, her murderous mother had escaped from prison. Putting the paper down, Raid reached for an orange and began to peel it slowly.

"This," She said. "Is not good."

The whole school was buzzing with the news of the escaped Deatheaters. Raid noticed that Draco was watching her carefully, as if gauging her reaction to the escape of Bellatrix. Raid was trying to remain calm. She knew it was likely her mother would contact her, and try and persuade her to join the ranks of the Deatheaters. The thought of a confrontation with Bellatrix scared Raid, a lot.

"Do you think she'll try and contact you?" Harry asked during Charms.

The task for this lesson was to make a large beetle turn from black to blue and back again. Everyone was mainly pre-occupied with trying to keep their beetles still before even trying to charm them a different colour.

"I have no doubt." Raid said darkly

"What will you do?" Hermione asked.

Hermione's beetle was a brilliant shade of blue and was sitting calmly on her desk. It appeared to be sleeping.

"Mine. Won't. Stay. Still." Ron was muttering, as he repeated had to stop his still black beetle jumping off the table.

"I'm not sure what I'll do. Run away probably." Raid said. Her beetle was also blue but had some how sprouted wings and was zooming in circles around Raid's head.

"I don't exactly want to talk to her." Raid said, whilst trying to grab the beetle. "It's not like I want to become a Deatheater."

By the end of the lesson, most people had managed to charm their beetles. The beetles had all been put back in their glass cabinet and were sitting placidly on the base, except for Raid's beetle, which was flying erratically around the cabinet regularly bumping in the glass with a dull thud.

* * *

It had stopped snowing, so after dinner Raid made her way out to the forest. Walking was easier than apperating. A dim winter sun hung low in the sky. She wouldn't have long before it got dark. Shadow, as always, was happy to see her. He butted her gently with his head and danced around as she crooned softly to him. There was no time for a ride, so Raid removed the tangles from his mane and tail and gave his inky coat a thorough grooming. Conjuring a small bucket of oats she waited until he had eatenthem before making her way out of the forest as the light waned in the west. Just as she reached the edge of the forest she hear a twig snap behind her. She stopped. 

"Hello Eriador," a harshfemalevoice said behind her.

Raid turned around slowly to face the witch behind her. She looked like a picture out of a children's horror story. Her skin was waxy and sunken, her eyes protruding from her thin, gaunt face. Hair fell in tangles and snags to her waist. It looked unwashed and lank.

"How do you know who I am?" Raid asked slowly.

Bellatrix laughed a high cruel laugh.

"Naïve child. You think I wouldn't have sources to find out what my own daughter looked like? You are wearing the ring I sent you as well." Her eyes flicked casually to Raid's hand.

Raid looked down at the ring, before covering it with her other hand.

"I don't wear it because it's yours." Raid spat. "I wear it because I like it."

Bellatrix's eyes hardened, but she appeared to force herself to relax.

"Of course you like it. You're a Black."

Raid said nothing. Bellatrix came a step closer. Quickly Raid moved back, towards the edge of the forest. Darkness was falling quickly now, even though the grounds were lit with the glowing snow Raid would be practically blind in the forest.

"What's the matter with you? I'm your mother. Come and give me a hug." Bellatrix said carefully.

No," Raid said slowly. "I don't think I will."

Slowly, Raid began to edge away from Bellatrix, escape the only thing on her mind. She did not want to be outside, in the dark, with Bellatrix Lestrange.

"You must join me Eriador. You can take the mark now. We'll be powerful together. We can crush Dumbledore and his weak followers." Bellatrix said.

"No." Raid said.

"What?" Bellatrix said sharply.

"I said no." Raid said, carefully moving towards a tree on her right.

"No? How can you not want to join me? I am family. I'm your mother. Don't you want to make me proud?" She said icily.

"I have other family." Raid said.

Bellatrix laughed that high cruel laugh again.

"Who? Sirius? He is just as weak as the rest of them. He'll meet his doom soon enough." She cackled.

"I will not join you." Raid said firmly.

Bellatrix's expression darkened.

"You must join me. The Dark Lord commands it." She hissed.

Raid could see her mother slowly moving her hand to her robes. Raid knew she was going for her wand. This was not going the way she hoped

"Voldemort can command what ever he likes. I'm not joining you."

"Don't dare say his name." Bellatrix shouted, drawing her wand. "If you will not come willingly, I will force you to come with me."

Raid tensed, waiting for the curse.

"Crucio!"

Raid dove behind the tree she had been edging towards. She felt the tree shudder from the impact of the curse. Snow fell from the empty branches and covered Raid. She shook it off and ran. She ran zigzagging throughout the trees, she could hear Bellatrix running after her.

"You can not fight me." She heard Bellatrix yell.

_No, I can't_ Raid thought. _But I can run. _

As soon as she reached the open grounds she sprinted as fast as she could for the castle, hoping Bellatrix would not follow her out of the cover of the forest. No more curses followed her as she ran through the darkness. Raid ran all the way back to Gryfindor tower. Gasping the password to the Fat Lady, she almost fell in to the common room. People stared at her red face and slightly bedraggled appearance. She found Harry, Hermione and Ron sitting by the window. She hurried over to them and began to get her breath back.

"Raid! What happened?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"In the forest," Raid gasped. "Met my mum…. Talked to me… Tried to curse me… I ran away."

The realisation of what had happened hit Raid all of a sudden. She burst in to tears. Harry and Ron look shocked and awkward, unsure of how to comfort her. However, Hermione moved round and put her arms round Raid's shoulders and hugged her.

After a few deep breaths Raid controlled herself and stopped crying. She smiled gratefully at Hermione. Ron and Harry visibly relaxed at the disappearance of tears.

"So, what actually happened?" Ron asked.

Raid told them how she had met her mother in the forest and about their little chat.

"You Know Who commanded her to come and get you?" Hermione whispered. "Oh Raid, you shouldn't go out in the forest on your own."

Raid shrugged.

"Well, I doubt she'll be coming back for a while. Hogwarts isn't a very good place for a Deatheater on the run, really." Raid reasoned.

"You should tell Dumbledore." Hermione said.

"Yeah." Raid agreed. "I'll tell him in the morning. That run has wiped me out. I need to exercise more."

"But…" Hermione began.

"Dumbledore will still be there in the morning Hermione." Harry interrupted.

Hermione pursed her lips, but said nothing. Raid called Good night and went up to bed.

* * *

January was fading. There was less snow around the grounds, but a bitterly chilling wind was howling around the castle. It gave everyone chapped lips and bright red cheeks when they went out of Care of Magical Creatures lessons. Raid was ignoring Malfoy completely. He had avoided her since the incident in the classroom, but kept trying to catch her eye. No doubt he knew about Bellatrix's jaunt to the forest from his father. One particularly stormy morning, Raid came down to breakfast to see the ceiling swirling with grey clouds and could hear the bitter wind screaming through the towers and turrets of the castle. As she sat down she noticed that a lot of parcels were landing on the Slytherin table. In front of Malfoy. Raid scowled in to her coffee. Malfoy's birthday. She had forgotten. Glancing up again she met Draco's eyes. They told her something she didn't want to know. He still had another present to come. Raid scowled at him and tore angrilyat a piece of toast without eating it.

* * *

Ok, it's the last chapter next time. I might write it on Friday. Probably. In the next week sometime. Probably. Review, Review, but try to be constructive. Xx 


	24. Loyalty

Ok ok, I know this has come later than I said it would. But I started writing it on the day I said. Last Friday. I just couldn't quite finish it. I'm seriously amazed with the hit counter. Over 400 hits! Anyway, reviews. Yay I got some : )

**cherryblossoms21**: That was so nice, thank you. It really is so great to have people who enjoy my story. It really helps inspire me to write. Thank you : )

**Blahblahblah**: If you read on, I don't know if you did as you reviewed at chapter 12, you find that Harry isn't such a nasty piece of work. I just thought that he went through a bit of a jerk phase in Order of the Phoenix and I figured that he may have reacted like that. Unfortunately I can't say whether this is going to be a Harry/OC fic. It finishes in this chapter and I don't think Raid will be with Harry. Thanks for the review though, although I'm a bit worried about the 'or else'. Heh.

Well, this is the final chapter, and it's the longest chapter I've written. Thank you to those who have stuck around to read this story, it's taken a long time. Anyway, I'll get on with it and write a note at the bottom.

* * *

**Loyalty**

Meeting Raid's eye at the breakfast table that morning, as he smirked, smugly over his pile of presents, he knew that she still remembered what was coming for him tonight. The Dark Mark. It would bind him to his master forever, and through his service he would become more powerful than he could ever manage on his own. Draco had often wondered at Raid's defiance in the face of joining Voldemort. His father had told him of Bellatrix's attempt to get Raid to join. It was odd, he thought, that with a mother so devoted to the cause, that Raid would not follow her. However, he realised with discomfort, there was a lot that he didn't know about Raid. Where she had stayed for Christmas, for instance. Despite Voldemort's skills, he could not find where she had been, it was like she had simply disappeared. She had told him she would fight against him, did that mean she had chosen to fight for Dumbledore? Draco scowled. The thought of a pureblood like Raid taking orders from that muggle loving fool did not fill him with glee.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Draco applied himself to his presents. Books, some new robes, a lovely pair of dragon skin gloves of the highest quality, huge boxes of sweets, and a letter from his father. It simply said, _6.30 pm_, _Hogsmeade, Hag's road. Bring your broom._ Draco stowed the letter in a pocket and collected up his presents, he strode out of the hall with a mixture of excitement and nervousness forming in his stomach. There would be a test, he understood, of his loyalty. He was unsure of what it would be, and didn't really want to think about what it was. It would be better not to think about what he had to do, he decided, it was for the cause.

Draco paid very little attention in any of his lessons that day. All he could think about was what would happen that evening. The fluttering nervousness in his stomach grew with each hour, he tapped his hands and fidgeted constantly. It wasn't until potions when Raid, who had been serenely ignoring him for the past forty-five minutes snapped irritably.

"Will you sit still for Merlin's sake. Or go and fret about your initiation in to a cult of murders somewhere else."

Draco glared at Raid, but said nothing and did try to stop fidgeting. He noticed Raid glare darkly at Snape as he walked past. This interested him, what did she know about Snape? And how? Again, Draco wished he knew more about Raid. The rest of potions passed with Raid stonily ignoring him. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he worked on his strengthening solution. As soon as the bell rang and Snape dismissed them Raid was gone, she joined Harry, Hermione and Ron and began to smile and laugh with them. The nervous feeling in his stomach was replaced for a moment by seething jealousy. Scowling he stalked out of the classroom to dinner. By the end of dinner he had forgotten his jealousy as his nervousness returned with a vengeance. He had barely touched his favourite beef casserole or his chocolate ice cream. As he left the hall, unable to sit still and look normal any longer, he felt Raid's eyes follow him out.

Sweeping in to his dormitory he threw himself on to his bed and lay, staring at the drapes of his majestic four poster bed. All his life, he had prepared for this day. His father had often spoken of it. When the Dark Lord returned, Lucius had said, Draco would enter a great service. He would help to purify the Wizarding race, right by Voldemort's side. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was time for him to leave. He retrieved his broomstick from the trunk at the end of his bed and also pulled out a shimmering, silvery, invisibility cloak. As he walked down in to the common room and out of the Slytherin dungeons, everything seemed to be more focused, and sharper than ever before. He ignored Pansy calling to him and began to make his way to the entrance hall. Stopping in the shadow of a suit of armour, he covered himself and his broomstick with the invisibility cloak. He savoured the feeling of not being able to see his legs for a moment and then quietly set off in to the grounds of the castle. It did not take him long to reach Hogsmeade. Darkness had fallen and the chill wind that although had settled slightly, still whipped around Draco. Making his way along the shadowy streets, Draco was careful not to bump in to anyone, he had not removed his cloak as Hogwarts students were definitely not allowed out in Hogsmeade after dark. Hag's Road was deserted when he arrived there at just before six-thirty. Glancing around, he shrugged off his invisibility cloak. Almost immediately there was a 'pop' to the left of him, and Lucius Malfoy appeared. He glanced over his son appraisingly.

"Good." He nodded.

Lucius was also carrying a broomstick.

"Come, we must hurry."

He swung on to his broom and pushed off in to the icy air. Draco followed him.

"Where are we going?" Draco asked.

"West," Lucius said.

They flew for about twenty chilling minutes before Lucius began the descent. The terrain had gradually become more and more wild as they had flown. They landed in a clearing in a large fir tree forest. Draco found the closeness in the forest slightly claustrophobic and looked around warily. Lucius glanced around before turning to Draco.

"Son, you are about to enter a great service. If you are afraid, do not show it. The Dark Lord does not accept fear. Do as he says without question and say nothing without being spoken to."

"Yes father." Draco said.

Lucius nodded, and in a rare gesture of affection he put his hand to Draco's shoulder and gripped it for a second. Within moments he was striding in to the forest. Draco followed, carrying his broomstick and wandering what had merited the brief gesture of fatherly concern. _What was the Dark Lord going to ask him to do?_

Draco could see figures and bright, flaming torches in a clearing through the trees ahead of him. As they emerged in to the clearing he noticed his father had pulled on his Deatheaters mask and hood. Looking around he saw ten other hooded and masked figures talking in small groups. At the centre of the clearing was a chair, tied to the chair was a figure, they were swathed in dark robes and a sack was tied over their head, the nervousness in Draco's stomach increased ten fold. And the with a jolt, he found himself in front of the terrifying figure of Voldemort. He stood, staring for a moment, before dropping to his knee as his father had done and moment before.

"Lucius," Voldemort said, although Draco thought it was more of a hiss.

Voldemort gestured with his hand and Lucius stood, Draco copied his father, but stood with his head bowed, staring at the hem of Voldemort's robes. He did not want to look in to that stark, white face, with the slit eyes and the flat nose of a snake.

"Draco." Voldemort said.

Draco forced himself not to flinch as he heard his name.

"Your father has served me well, and now you will join me and serve me equally as well as he I hope," Voldemort said to Draco.

"Yes Sir," Draco muttered.

Voldemort laughed.

"Few words, good! Well, let us begin." He cried.

The ten Deatheaters formed a circle around the chair in the centre of the clearing. The person tied to it was wriggling and twisting, trying to escape. Draco tried to look.

"Now Draco, kneel." Voldemort said.

Draco knelt at Voldemort's feet, still staring at the swaying hem of his robes.

"This boy will join us tonight." Voldemort said loudly. "He will be the first of many knew members to our circle. With new blood will come new power and new allies. He will be the first. Hold out your left arm Draco."

Raising his left arm he realised he was shaking. Draco tried very hard to quell to the shuddering of his body. He felt Voldemort grasp his arm in thin, pincer like fingers. A wand tip dug in to his forearm, pain lanced through his body, he gritted his teeth. He felt blood drip down his arm to the sleeve of his robe and began to drip on the floor. He barely heard the archaic chant Voldemort was reciting. His arm throbbed painfully as Voldemort carved his sign in to Draco's arm and he felt magic being imbued in to his skin.

Suddenly, Voldemort let go of Draco's arm. Draco opened his eyes, he did not remember screwing them shut.

"Rise Draco, and look at me." Voldemort commanded.

Slowly Draco stood, and with some trepidation, looked at Voldemort, but found himself looking past the deathly white face rather than at it.

"Only a show of loyalty to me will, finish this charm and bind you to me via the Dark Mark. Only then can it burn black."

"What would you ask of me, master?" Draco asked, he found that he could not bring himself to look at his left arm, he could feel it bleeding and throbbing, and he did not want to look.

"There must be a sacrifice." Voldemort cried.

Draco could feel the other Deatheaters excitement, he could feel their smiles. They were all watching him. Voldemort pointed to the figure sitting in the chair. They had stopped moving, stopped thrashing around, it looked like they had given up.

"You must want it Draco, with all you will. You must want to make the sacrifice." Voldemort said.

Draco nodded numbly. This was his task. He must prove his loyalty to bind himself to Voldemort. Turning around slowly, Draco took a few steps towards the chair. He took his wand from his robes. Lucius stepped forward and swept the sack off the persons head. Blonde hair fell in disarray around a pale and thin woman's face. She squinted as he eyes adjusted to the light, then her ice blue eyes locked with Draco and widened at the sight of him. Draco stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the woman he was to kill in horror.

"M…Mother?" He whispered.

"Your mother is a Mudblood Draco." Lucius said.

"But…no.." Draco stuttered.

A few of the Deatheaters laughed, but were silenced by a glance from Voldemort.

"Yes Draco. Your mother was adopted. She is a Mudblood. Think about it, she looks nothing like Bellatrix does she?" Voldemort said mockingly, gesturing to a Deatheater.

Bellatrix removed her mask to reveal her sunken and waxy face, swathed in dark tangled hair. Even if she had been related to Narcissa it was unlikely a resemblance could be found now. Draco just stood staring at his mother. His own mother, was something he had been taught to loathe. It meant that he was not a true pure blood. Draco's world seemed to splinter and crash down around him.

"Show your loyalty Draco." Lucius hissed. "Rid yourself of this taint. Kill this Mudblood."

Draco just stared at those icy blue eyes that mirrored his own. He looked at his father, who had lied to him his whole life. All the ideals, the hatred, what did they mean now? There was a pounding in his ears. Looking at his mother, he knew he could never kill her, or even hurt her. Just as he knew now he could never serve Voldemort. His believe in the cause had been shattered. Glancing to his right he saw that his broom lay only a few feet away from him. Draco made his decision quickly. He turned quickly and picked it up. Some Deatheaters moved to grab him but Voldemort raised his hand and they stopped. As Draco swung himself on to his broom Voldemort called to him.

"Draco!"

Draco turned and for the first time looked Voldemort directly in his eyes. Voldemort said nothing but Draco felt memories stir unbidden in to his mind. He was staring at the drapes of his bed, he was sitting in potions, he was shouting at Raid in a classroom, he was looking in to Raid's deep black eyes. The visions stopped there, focusing on Raid, then suddenly stopped. Draco pushed off hard from the floor, his mind still a jumble of thoughts and emotions. Voldemort nodded to the Deatheaters and they all drew their wands and began firing spells at Draco. He felt the curses brush past him, burning his arms and legs, as he flew as high as he could. Then he felt one hit him in the back, he almost fell from his broom as he felt a long wound open on his back. But he held on tightly and urged his broom to go faster, in the darkness he heard Voldemort's cold voice.

"Leave him, he may prove useful yet."

* * *

Raid stared moodily at her plate of half eaten baked potato and cauliflower cheese. It annoyed her that she was still being moody over Draco, this was all his fault. Glancing up she say him leave the Slytherin table and walk out of the hall, she watched him go. After dinner, she and Hermione went to the library to do their Arithmacy homework whilst Harry and Ron returned to the common room to play chess. After an hour and half Raid could not concentrate any more.

"What wrong?" Hermione asked, after she had been watching Raid stare at the same question for the past five minutes.

"It's tonight," Raid said.

"What is?" Hermione asked, looking confused.

"Draco's initiation." Raid said quietly.

"Oh," Hermione said. "Raid listen, there's nothing you can do. You said it yourself, Draco has to understand that if he does this, you wont be with him."

"I know," Raid sighed, "I'm going to go back up to the common room, play a bit of chess, you coming?"

Hermione looked down at her work.

"Yeah I suppose so, I'm nearly done anyway."

In the common room, the girls took their seats next to the window as usual and played chess late in to the night. Hermione beat Raid five times, but she could see that Raid's concentration wasn't with the game.

"I'm going to bed," Hermione said, yawning. "You coming?"

"In a minute," Raid murmured. She was staring out of the window.

Hermione just shrugged and went up the stairs to the dormitory. Raid stared out in to the grounds, as the moon emerged from behind a cloud and lit up the grounds she thought she saw a dark shape plummet towards the ground and hit it with some force. Half standing she leant towards the window, staring hard. She saw a figure half stand and then fall again, the moonlight was reflected off something white- blond for less than a second, but it was more than Raid needed. It was Draco.

Raid focused her power hard and apparated quickly to the spot she thought she had seen Draco land. As always, the effort to bypass the spells protecting Hogwarts left Raid breathless and weakened but she fought it off and looked around for Draco. She lit her wand and scanned the dark grounds for him.

"Draco?" She called softly.

There was a groan to her left. She ran towards it and nearly tripped over a dark lump on the floor. Kneeling, she rolled him over, his pale face had an unhealthy sheen to it.

"Raid," He whispered. "Help…me"

"It's ok Draco, just lie still."

Raid looked him over and saw blood pooling on the floor from his back and also dripping from his arm. With a grimace she lifted his left sleeve and looked at the unsealed Dark Mark, oozing blood. Raid knew she needed to get Draco somewhere warm and get him cleaned up quickly. She saw something silvery hanging out his pocket, his invisibility clock. Pulling it out she draped it over herself. She pointed her wand at Draco.

"Mobilarbus," She muttered.

Draco's groaning form was lifted from the floor. Raid somehow managed to arrange the cloak over Draco and began to make her way up to the castle. As quietly as she could Raid made her way through the deserted castle to the fifth floor. '_What I need' _she thought '_is a place to help me.' _A very solid door materialised on her right. Raid sighed with relief, she wasn't sure if she had come to the right place.

Once inside the room of requirement she place Draco on the soft bed on his front and cut away his robes covering his back to reveal and long, but seemingly shallow slice in his back. Looking at the jars on the shelves around her Raid found a healing poultice. Draco was unconscious, but Raid thought it would be better to wake him after she had tended his wounds. She gently smeared the salve over the slice and also put some on the open carving on his arm. The potion seemed to stop the bleeding and soon the cuts appeared to start healing themselves. Raid exhaled a breath of relief she hadn't thought she was holding. She went to the door and turned the lock, she didn't think it would be a good idea for people to find them. Pulling up a chair next to the bed, she settled herself to wait until Draco woke up.

* * *

Over an hour later, when Raid was nearly falling asleep, Draco stirred, he groaned and his eyelids flickered.

"Where am I?" He groaned as the room came in to focus.

"The room of requirement." Raid said quietly. "Don't move too quickly, you're not quite healed yet."

Stiffly, Draco pulled himself in to a sitting position, he winced as he flexed his arm. His gaze fixed on the scarring wound in the shape of a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth. He found that, as before he could not bring himself to look at it, now he could not take his eyes from it. Raid watched him quietly.

"What happened?" Raid asked softly.

"What do you care?" Draco snapped.

Raid rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't the fact that I saved your life show that I care?" Raid replied.

"I didn't ask you to help me?" Draco snapped again.

"Actually, I think you'll find that when you were out in the grounds bleeding all over the place, you did." Raid said coolly.

Draco looked sullen.

"I'll just go then. Don't bother thanking me." Raid said, her temper flaring.

She rose and began walking to the door.

"No, wait, Raid." Draco said, he began to get up, but stumbled as he got out of bed, gasping in pain.

Raid quickly retreated back to him, helping him back in to bed.

"I told you, don't move too quickly." She said.

Draco sighed dejectedly.

"Raid, I'm, I'm sorry." Draco said quickly.

Raid said nothing.

"I'm sorry about everything." He continued.

"Maybe you had better tell me what happened tonight." Raid said as she settled herself back in to her chair.

Draco fell silent for a minute, unable to form the words to describe what had happened. What he had been told. How he felt he had been betrayed. How he felt that his whole life was a lie. Then he found his voice, he poured his story out to Raid. When it came to telling her about his mother, he found that tears streamed down his face.

"I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it." He sobbed.

"Of course you couldn't." Raid said gently. "She's your mother."

"Don't you see though Raid? Can't you see what this means? I'm not a pureblood! Everything I've believed, all the ideals, they mean nothing, because I'm a half blood as well. I'm a Mudblood." He spat.

"But don't 'you' see Draco? That doesn't matter! None of it matters. It doesn't matter what blood you have or where you're from." Raid moved from her chair to the bed to look at Draco.

"I don't know who I am." Draco said.

"Well I do." Raid said. "You're Draco Malfoy. And no matter what blood you have, or you think you have. You'll still be the sarcastic, arrogant guy I've known. But you've shown me tonight, that I was right to believe in you."

"What am I going to do now?" Draco asked quietly.

"I don't know Draco," Raid said softly. "But I'll be with you."

Draco turned his head to look at Raid in surprise and she captured his month in a kiss. In that moment, Draco knew he was saved. He knew that when it was time for him to fight, he would choose a side, this time it would be the right choice, and it would be with the girl who had believed in him.

* * *

Well, that's it, the end. Probably. I know it's a bit of a sucky ending but there are reasons for it. Firstly, I didn't really want to have to write about Sirius dying, he was my favourite character. Secondly, I wouldn't be able to write big battle scenes and stuff I don't think. I just don't think I would be very good at them. But I've got a couple of ideas for a sequel to this, so it mighthappen.I'll work on it. I just wanted to leave it kind of open ended, with Draco turning out to be not such a bad ass, and him and Raid getting back together.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who has read this story, it's really meant a lot to me to have readers. Please, check out my other stories, I'll be able to write them without feeling guilty about this story now.

So, tell me what you think about this ending. I guess I might change it if I can think of a better one, but I don't know.

Thanks again.

J Xx


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